Rick Wagner

Rick Wagner

1.  Why do you want to be a member of the KCBS Board of Directors?

I am a CPA by trade and came on to the KCBS Board of Directors in 2020 just before the pandemic. When I first came on the Board in 2020 KCBS was in severe financial distress, then a pandemic hit and things looked even worse for any organization that depended on groups of people getting together to cook and judge. As a CPA my specialty was working with companies in distress to turn them around, just so happens that is what KCBS needed at the time. I worked with the previous CEO, Emily and we begin the work to turn around KCBS financially. We were successful in digging it out of the ditch it had been put in and pointed in a sound direction. But I feel my job is not quite complete here and would like to see it through so KCBS is sound for years to come.

2.  Identify the major areas (Cook, Judge, Organizer, Rep or Backyard Cook) in which you are involved.

I have the pleasure of participating in all areas of KCBS: I have been a Cook under the Smokin Timbers BBQ name since 2012, CBJ, Organizer and now training to be a Rep.



3.  Identify your major short-term goal and major long-term goal, if elected to the Board of KCBS and your plan to implement change or improvement in order to carry out each of these goals.

My goals are around financial issues due to my background as a CPA. I think it is important for any nonprofit board to have a diverse set of Board Members with different backgrounds that can assist the organization such as myself. In the short term my concentration is to continue the turnaround plan we put in place during the pandemic to keep KCBS financially sound today. My long term financial vision is to make sure we work with KCBS administration on plans to attract folks to our sport and keep up and increase our member numbers. This will insure the long-term financial stability I am looking for.

4.  The KCBS Board of Directors is a working board that spends 10-20 hours and possibly more per month in furthering the mission of KCBS depending on your role as a member of the board. If elected, please explain “Your level of Commitment, Time and Energy” in your role as director.

 have shown through my work for the last 2 plus years on the board that I am willing and able to spend a substantial amount of time devoted to the success of KCBS. Including the year I was President to work closely with our attorneys to win the case filed against KCBS and serve as a witness at the trial on behalf of KCBS which took days of time in Kansas City.
 
5.  List how you have participated in KCBS and for how long?

Cook since 2012, CBJ since 2020, Organizer over the last year and Rep trainee for the last several months. I have served on the Board of Directors since 2020 as Treasurer, President, and Chair of the By-Laws committee and assisted with many board projects over the last 2 plus years.

6.  What skills do you possess that might help the KCBS Board of Directors in its mission, i.e. Accounting, Legal, Marketing, etc.? How do you see using these skills as a KCBS Board of Director member?

Any small nonprofit such as KCBS needs to have a Board filled with folks that have backgrounds that can be used by the administration to assist with projects as they come up such as accounting, legal and marketing. By having the diverse set of skills at the board level we multiple the ability of administration to have successful projects without having to buy those skill sets in the outside market. My main skill set is accounting, and the turnaround work I have done all my career, but I have also ran my own business for many years before successfully selling and retiring from that before being asked to assist with the network development of a healthcare system in Oklahoma.