KCBS Board Meeting Agenda for April 14, 2026

KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE SOCIETY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 6:00 PM CST
 
Membership Requests to Address the Board:    
● None

Call to Order – Paul Buob

Roll Call: 

Board Pledge:
Recognizing barbeque as America’s cuisine, the mission of the Kansas City Barbeque Society is to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbeque as a culinary technique, sport, and art form.  I accept my duties as a KCBS director to further the KCBS mission so that truth, justice, excellence in barbeque, and the American way of life may be strengthened and preserved forever.

Declaration of Quorum 

Consent Agenda:
            Notice concerning Committee Reports. Some committees do not meet monthly. If a report is presented, it will be included as an attachment to the agenda.
  • Minutes of previous BoD meeting
  • Contest Report
  • Sanctioning Committee
  • Judging Committee
  • Contest Representative Committee
  • Rules Committee
  • Technology Committee
  • Foundation Committee
  • Nominating Committee ● Hall of Fame Committee ● Working Groups:
o Organizers Working Group
▪     Membership Subcommittee o Backyard Working Group o Sponsorship Working Group o World Invitational Working Group Discussion of any items removed from Consent Agenda:

Chief Executive Officer’s Report:
  • CEO Report attached.
  • The Board may take actions based on Topics and Discussions from this report as New Business.
Old Business:
  • None
New Business:  
  • Resolution R-04-14-2026 - “Approving the Transition to a Unified Masters Series” (Thomas Gearheart)
  • 2026 Annual Member Meeting (Paul Buob)
  • Request for Limited Trial of Advance Judge Seating Procedure (Randy Todd)
  • Lifetime Membership sale in May - National BBQ Month (Rod Gray)
 
Closed Session Agenda:  
Discussion of legal, financial, personnel, and real estate.
  • Q1 Budget Results Discussion  (Thomas Gearheart)
 
After Closed Session:
The Board may take any necessary actions, including motions on any or all matters discussed in closed session 

Board Comments

Adjourn or Suspend
 
 
Attachments and Reports Contest Report
Contest Date   City ST/Country
BBQ Fest Parque Tempisque 5/1/2026 5/2/2026   COSTA RICA
Big Smoke Bonnyville 8/14/2026 8/15/2026   CANADA
First State BBQ Bash 9/25/2026 9/26/2026 Milford DE
Frosty Butts BBQ Throwdown 11/6/2026 11/7/2026 Mt. Jackson VA
Grill Contest Rivergaro (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) 5/3/2026 5/3/2026   ITALY
Grill Contest Rivergaro (ONE MEAT RIBS) 5/3/2026 5/3/2026   ITALY
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational
Barbecue		 10/9/2026 10/10/2026 Lynchburg TN
Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship 4/24/2026 4/25/2026 Lodi CA
Made for KC BBQ Championship 2026 (COMPETITORS
SERIES)		 8/21/2026 8/22/2026 Weston MO
Mee(a)t and Fire BBQ Festival Innsbruck 6/13/2026 6/14/2026   AUSTRIA
Mee(a)t and Fire BBQ Festival Innsbruck (ONE MEAT
RIBS)		 6/13/2026 6/13/2026   AUSTRIA
Mike Gannon BBQ Cookoff (MASTERS) 9/18/2026 9/19/2026 Columbiana AL
Octoberfest (BACKYARD ONLY) 10/2/2026 10/3/2026 Argos IN
Paxton Swine n Dine (BACKYARD ONLY) 9/19/2026 9/20/2026 Paxton IL
Plant City Pig Jam 11/20/2026 11/21/2026 Plant City FL
Pz al Carbon, Festival BBQ 2026 6/26/2026 6/27/2026   COSTA RICA
Smoke on the Water 10/9/2026 10/10/2026 Topeka KS
Smokin in the Valley 4/25/2026 4/26/2026   AUSTRALIA
The Big Blue BBQ at the Station 10/9/2026 10/10/2026 Kansas City MO
Waiting for W.E.S.T. (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) 7/25/2026 7/25/2026   ITALY
Waiting for W.E.S.T. (ONE MEAT RIBS) 7/25/2026 7/25/2026   ITALY
West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS
Contest #2)		 5/15/2026 5/15/2026 Kansas City MO
 

Sanctioning Committee

Committee Members: Jeanne Titus
No report for this period.

CBJ Committee

Committee Chair: Blake Moore  Members: 
 
Attached below is a summary of the discussion points from the last CBJ Committee meeting on March 25, 2026 at 6:00 pm CT:
 
  • All members present
  • Three takeaways from meeting as carryover from 2025 CBJ Committee and general discussion:
  1. Address the lack of contests within driving distance for CBJs  (deserts and floods)
  2. Improve the communication process
  3. Update registration logistics addressing automation in registration and notifications, digital scoring, training, and more efficient check-in and judging timelines
The members were asked to self-assign their willingness to work within a sub-group and focus on specific opportunities and ensure maximum efficiency.
 
 

Contest Representative Committee

Committee Chair:  Carol Bigler Committee Members: 
No report for this period. 
 

Rules Committee

Committee Chair: Randy Todd Committee Members: 
No report for this period.
 

Finance Committee

Committee Members: Thomas Gearhart, Paul Buob, Luke Darnell, Jeanne Titus, Rod Gray.
The committee did not meet in March. The committee and the Treasurer are focused on preparing for the upcoming annual meeting where we will present the approved budget and discuss overall financial results and trends for the last 3 years. Results for Q1 2026 are attached for discussion during closed session. Note on YTD results, the comparison versus expectations assumes an even distribution of income and expenses across all periods. However, both our revenues and expenses are seasonal, which is not reflected in this comparison.
 

Foundation Committee

Committee Chair: Paul Buob
Committee Members: 

Foundation Meeting March 24 th 2026
Present: Paul Buob, Nancy Goldsmith, Bill Salz, Beth, Matt Greer, Chiles Cridlin, Blake Moore Agenda
Nancy announced the foundation received a check for $103,272 from the Carl Drake Trust!
1. Scholarships – Nancy to send out template
22 submitted, 2 not meeting gpa requirements, 15 saved not submitted
Awaiting supporting references eod 3/29/26
Paul to schedule review mtg April 28 th 7 to 8pm
  1. World Inv Pop-up Shop – Paul discussed replacing pop up shop with Raffle/sweepstakes, group was supportive.
Paul spoke to Jay Craig at Outlaw Smokers. Jay was positive and will confirm with paul. Blake mentioned coming up with a shirt for the foundation, leveraging 40yr anniv and usa 250. Blake will take the lead and would have onsite printing if successful.
We will still need volunteers to run the 50/50 raffle at the World Invitational
  1. Old Hickory Raffle is back again. We should update graphics again, and establish start / end dates assume July 1 start and assume 10/31 end (align with royal ??) We need to improve the flyers at each event – rep communication.
Action items : Carl Drake article – Nacny to work on with help from paul buob
Action item: Paul to get with Rod to get signatures for our vanguard account to move $$
Action item: communicate to Board in May closed session the scholar recipients
 

Nominating Committee

Committee Chair: Randy Todd Committee Member: 
No report for this period.
 

Technology Working Group

Committee Chair: Luke Darnell Committee Members: David McAllister.
No report for this period.
 

Hall of Fame Workgroup 

Committee Chair: Thomas Gearhart Committee Members: Carolyn Wells.
No report for this period. 
 

Organizer Working Group

Committee Chair: Donna Fong Committee Members: 
The Organizer Workgroup met for its first meeting on April 7th. Members present were Organizer Kathy
Trainor (Taunton, MA), Organizer Jim Palmer (Riverside, CA), Organizer Bill Jones (Richmond, VA),
Representative Julie Poe (Sacramento, CA), Chair Donna Fong, and CEO Rod Gray. Organizer Christie Vanover, Board members/Representative Carol Bigler, and President Paul Buob were invited but not present.
The main topic of conversation was the judge selection process on the part of organizers. KCBS members commenting on the MES survey reveal struggles with communication and notification. Workgroup members commented on the need to emphasize the importance of CBJs volunteering in whatever capacity the contest rep requires. The workgroup has recommended producing a series of short instructional videos.
The next meetings are scheduled for 6/2/26, 8/4/26, 10/6/26 and 12/1/26 at 6:30pm Central. We will continue our efforts to reach out to organizers who need assistance. Anyone needing Organizer support can email dfong@kcbs.us.
 
Marketing and Membership Workgroup
Committee Chairs: Donna Fong and Blake Moore
 

World Invitational (Public Facing) Working Group 

Committee Chair: Blake Moore
Committee Members: Paul Buob, Jason Cole, Eric Cantrell, Cliff Brockman, Rod Gray.
No report for this period. 

KCBS Competition Enhancement Working Group

Committee Members: Thomas Gearhart, Blake Moore, David Puckett, Josh Yagel, Pat Larisey, Garry Edwards.
A resolution is being presented to the board for a vote during the next meeting on April 14, 2026.
Pending approval of the resolution, we need KCBS CEO and staff support ensure smooth implementation and clear communication with members, reps, organizers, and the broader community, we will need assistance with the following:
  • Review, finalize, and publish a website news article and comprehensive FAQs as soon as possible. 
  • Coordinate distribution of FAQs to all Contest Representatives and the Rep Advisory Group. 
  • Schedule and promote a series of virtual town halls for live Q&A sessions with members, reps, organizers, and other stakeholders. 
  • Assist in developing a scheduled social media content calendar (weekly posts recommended) to reinforce key messages, address common questions, and maintain transparency throughout the transition. 
  • Include an update (or a summary) in the Bullsheet.
 

Monthly Experience Survey (MES) Results – March 2026

Overall member sentiment improved month-over-month, rising from 4.04 to 4.09. The total number of respondents remained stable. In March, the percentage of respondents giving the highest rating ('5') reached a record high of 50.28% both in absolute number and as a percentage of responses. This represents a 12% increase since the MES inception. Currently, 74.3% of respondents hold a positive view of KCBS, while 88.83% view it neutrally or positively. March
Score Members Voted Percentage or Total
1 14 3.91
2 16 7.26
3 52 14.53
4 86 24.02
5 180 50.28
Total 358 100%
Score   4.09
 
CEO Report

Key Highlights -

The 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational is shaping up to be a strong event. Our focus is clear: drive team registrations, refine our processes, and deliver a level of hospitality this event hasn’t seen before.
This year brings a logistical curveball. The fairgrounds will host another event immediately prior, which means we won’t begin placing teams or setting up until Thursday evening, effectively two days later than in previous years. That’s not ideal. It creates pressure on move-in and setup, but with the right planning, we’ll manage it and keep the experience strong for teams and judges.
The KCBS Annual Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will return to the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza. We’ve secured a three-year agreement with the property, which locks in stability and helps control costs while maintaining reasonable room rates for our members.
Dates for the next three years are:
 February 19–20, 2027
 February 4–5, 2028
 February 2–3, 2029
This gives us consistency, a familiar setting, and a real opportunity to build tradition around the weekend while continuing to grow attendance.
At the end of the day, both efforts point to the same priority: delivering better events and stronger value for our members.
 

Membership -

As of April 8th, 2026, KCBS membership stands at 15,072, up from 15,033 reported on March 6th.
February’s expired-member postcard campaign resulted in 60 renewals. Postcards for March expirations will be mailed this week. 
 

Contests  

52  contests completed in 2026
            339  contests scheduled for 2026
12  contests canceled in 2026
 

CBJ & Table Captain Classes 

               22  CBJ classes scheduled in 2026
12  Table Captain classes scheduled in 2026
 
 

Marketing & Communications -  

Bullsheet

The March issue of the Bullsheet was emailed to 13,387 recipients. The digital publication was opened by 5,484  members as of 4/8/26, reflecting a 40.97% open rate.  This is disappointing.  The April issue was over 80 pages with many great articles from contributors.
Social Media (as of 4/8/26)
Engagement and audience growth continue across all platforms.
  • Current Follower Counts
Facebook 79,498 (up 137 followers)
Instagram 27,590  (up 177 followers)
X 22,091 (down 16 followers)
Total social media followers: 129,179 (up 330)
  • Facebook Performance
    • Views: 324,304 (previously 211,150), reported as up 77% in the previous 28 days via Facebook
○ Interactions: 5,515 (previously 5,589) reported down 14% in the previous 28 days via Facebook
○ New followers: 165 net new followers in the previous 28 days (uncertain of the discrepancy in reporting)
Website Performance (per Google Search Console - March 2026)
  • 10,200 clicks from Google Search
 
  • 112,000 impressions ● Top-clicked pages:
    • Homepage: 7,425 clicks 
○ Explore Events page: 1,005 clicks 
○ Judging Classes page: 263 clicks
○ Judging Requirements page: 143 clicks
 
  • Top search queries:
    • kcbs 4,563
                ○ kcbs bbq 1,418
                ○ kcbs events 430
 
  • Device usage:
    • Mobile: 7,505
                    ○ Desktop: 2,448
                    ○ Tablet: 239
 
  • Top countries:
    • United States: 91%
                    ○ Canada: 2%
                    ○ Italy: 2%