Our Team

B.J. Jansen
Board President
B.J. Jansen (Bernard), born in Cincinnati, is a versatile musician, composer, bandleader, business leader and educator. His musical journey began at age 10 with an alto saxophone from his father. In 2004, he moved from the Midwest to Philadelphia, immersing himself in jazz. After three years, he relocated to New York City in 2007, performing with acclaimed musicians and recording multiple albums. In 2018, he moved to Kansas City, MO, Charlie Parker's birthplace.
B.J. has held leadership roles with various non-profits and currently serves on the board of Kansas City Jazz Alive and Friends of the UMKC Conservatory. He has held leadership positions at organizations like Target, Walmart, and H&R Block, earning the Best of Block award in 2022 and Continuous Improvement Icon award in 2023 from H&R Block.
He holds an MBA in Music Management from William Paterson University and a BA in Jazz Studies from the University of Louisville School of Music. An endorsing artist for Yanagisawa Saxophones and Harry Hartmann's Fiberreed, B.J. is also a Conn Selmer clinician and conducts music industry clinics. He appears on releases from Artists Recording Collective (ARC) and RoninJazz labels.
B.J. continues his artistic journey in jazz in Kansas City and beyond.

Selena Smith
Board Vice President
Selena Smith is a people-oriented, complex problem solver and human resources professional. Certified in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and DISC personality behavior assessment, Selena believes leadership is more than a badge; it’s about the people. A high-energy, enthusiastic, people connector and coach, her dedication to her craft has led her to focus on being a human resources professional that people can trust.
Selena was born and educated in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from Park University, Parkville, MO with a Bachelor’s in Human Resources and is currently pursuing her Masters in the same discipline area. In addition to her professional career, Selena is the Principal of her own coaching and consulting business.
Her commitment to community is evident through the various organizations in which she volunteers. Selena has volunteered on boards in the arts, education, and economic development. On these boards she serves as Vice-President (KC Jazz Alive and DEED Foundation), Treasurer (Scoula Vita Nuova Charter School) and has served as Chairperson (City in Motion Dance Theater).
When not directing or developing, Selena is a ‘foodie’ who focuses on her family, travel, listening to jazz, socializing with friends, and reading.

Emily Behrmann
Board Treasurer
Emily Behrmann believes in the power of the performing arts, bringing over 35 years of experience to Greater Kansas City’s cultural landscape.
As Executive Director of Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College, Emily booked a diverse series of over 300 touring artists and performers, delighting audiences for 13 years. She managed a team of 40 employees, plus a volunteer corps of over 100. Being on the JCCC campus allowed her to serve on JCCC’s Strategic Planning Committee and Diversity Task Force. She also served for six years as Treasurer of Plains Presenters, a regional consortium of performing arts centers in six states.
Throughout her career, Emily has worked with individual donors as well as private foundations and public funding institutions to secure vital financial support, allowing arts programs to survive and thrive. Other areas of expertise include marketing/communications, event management & production, arts organization management and work in voiceovers.
Emily was educated in Voice at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In addition to her role at the Midwest Trust Center, Emily previously held key administrative roles at the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and JCCC Foundation. Since retiring in 2022, she has taken on several volunteer positions with arts and cultural organizations, including her current role as Treasurer of Kansas City Jazz ALIVE. Her love for live performance continues, as she regularly joins the audience at many local venues.

Demetrius Smiley
Board Secretary
Demetrius Smiley is a dynamic, driven, and energetic servant leader, bringing a wealth of experience and leadership to this role. He has a passion for leading and connecting people. One of his favorite quotes is, "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou.
Born and raised on the west side of Chicago, Demetrius developed a deep love for music, with jazz holding a special place in his heart as it reminds him of his late grandfather. Demetrius still has vivid memories of spending Saturday mornings with his grandparents listening to music from the 60’s and 70’s. This explains why groups like The Temptations, The Stylistics and Frankie Beverly and Maze are some of his favorite artists.
In 2019, he moved to Kansas City to expand his career and has since fallen in love with the city. Demetrius is passionate about staying active, spending much of his time in the gym and playing in various recreational sports leagues around the city. He also enjoys cars, riding motorcycles, spending time with close friends, and visiting his favorite live music venues across Kansas City.

Darrel McKaig
Vivid Visions Coordinator & Board Member
Darrel McKaig studied music with an emphasis on trumpet performance and jazz education. Performance highlights include a college band tour with Clark Terry; the pit orchestra for The Young Americans summer stock in Petoskey, Michigan; a tour across Route 66 with the Verne Byers’ Glenn Miller Revival big band; and Lightshine, a Contemporary Christian rock band that performed in the Kansas City region.
To supplement previous audio-engineering studies, Darrel returned to school to study electronics. He has since had an extended electronics career in the Avionics and Automotive industries. He has served as an audio-engineer for churches in both paid and volunteer capacities. He and his wife, Laura, joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and lived six years in Senegal, West Africa, where he put his skills to use running a recording studio that produced spoken-word Scripture recordings in the local languages. He also worked with ethnomusicologists in Senegal to produce field-recordings of worship music in both the “heart” languages and musical styles of the region.
As a long-time jazz enthusiast, Darrel continues his love for music as an advocate for jazz musicians, jazz education and the art form itself.

Jacob Moore
Marketing & Operations Coordinator
Born, raised and educated in Kansas City, Jacob is a dedicated professional with a passion for music and community work. He has a degree in Public Relations and a Minor in Business Administration. With his unique blend of skills and a proven track record in various industries he instantly became a perfect fit for the Kansas City Jazz ALIVE family.
Throughout his career, Jacob gained valuable experiences working in radio promotions for over 10 years (starting at one of the city’s oldest stations). Jacob has also taken on roles in the nonprofit sector, working in the very neighborhood where he grew up in, coordinating programs and events that he believes will make a positive impact on the community.
In his spare time Jacob runs a small print shop named One and Only Prints. He enjoys quality time with family and friends, music, and his favorite sports teams (Chiefs, Missouri Tigers(NCAA), Spurs, and Royals).

Christopher Burnett
Ex-Officio Board President
Christopher Burnett is a critically acclaimed alto saxophonist, educator, arts industry business leader, and composer who began his professional career with military jazz bands “going pro” directly upon graduating high school at 18 years old. Over the course of his career, Mr. Burnett has performed professionally around the world, recorded noteworthy albums as a leader, and has taught at the college-level. Mr. Burnett is the Chief, Executive Officer and also co-directs Kansas City Area Youth Jazz, a tax-exempt nonprofit charity organization whose programs include the Artists Recording Collective, Bird Boot Camp, Jazz Artistry Now, and the Youth Jazz program itself.
Professional Memberships and Affiliation include: Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) Composer, Conn Selmer Artist and Clinician, National Association for Music Education (Missouri and Kansas memberships).
Executive Director Profile: Success-driven, visionary, and highly committed professional equipped with broad background in providing top-notch leadership and services within nonprofit, military, and corporate organizations; complemented with expertise in business startup, business development, and community outreach.
A Special Thank you
We acknowledge and thank the organization’s founders: Greg Carroll, Steve Hargrave, Jon McGraw, and the late Pam Hider-Johnson for their vision and unstinting commitment to celebrating Bird and Kansas City jazz. We'd like to thank the following past members of our Board of Directors and staff:
Directors:
Chris Burnett
Greg Carroll
Steve Hargrave
Pam Hider-Johnson (1954-2020)
Jon McGraw
Bill Mullin
John Nobles
Gale Tallis
Staff:
Macy Vulgamore - Marketing Coordinator
We'd Also Like to express our gratitude for the following generous partner organizations
If you're interested in partnering with us and others as we celebrate Kansas City jazz and Charlie Parker, please fill out and submit this form so we can be sure to reach out to you.

