Welcome, new staff! 
We’re pleased to introduce Kristin Grossman, our new Director of Hello Art, and Mary Wetzel, our new Director of Development…
Kristin Grossman is the Director of Hello Art. She composes, coordinates and publicizes programming for this initiative. She earned her M.F.A. in Art History from the University of Kansas in 2008, and her B.F.A. from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota in 2003. She has been active in the Kansas City arts community, providing curatorial assistance at both the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Charlotte Street Foundation. In her free time, she is a freelance set decorator, writer, and curator.
Mary Wetzel is an experienced development and marketing professional in Kansas City
and has spent her 15-year career focused in the areas of fund development, event plan-
ning, public relations, marketing and media strategy. In 2009, she launched Mary
Wetzel Initiatives with a mission to connect community organizations, corporations and
foundations. Drawing upon her unique blend of experience in all three areas, she is
able to provide diverse perspectives and counsel to those seeking support and those
interested in opportunities to provide.
Most recently, Mary spent eight years with the Sprint Corporation, where she served as
the community relations manager in Kansas City for the Sprint Foundation, creating and
executing Sprint’s charitable education focus and awarding more than $3 million in
grants to public schools and educators. During her time at Sprint she also managed me-
dia relations and developed national sponsorship opportunities such as Sprint’s investment in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the PGA of America.
Prior to joining Sprint, Mary opened the Kansas City office of Chicago-based Allied Ad-
vertising, developing public relations and marketing strategies for Paramount Pictures,
Warner Brothers Studios, MGM, Lion’s Gate and Artisan Entertainment in the Kansas City
market. With Allied, she had the unique opportunity to work on features ranging from
the worldwide blockbuster Titanic to the hugely successful independent film The Blair
Witch Project.
She has also held positions with the Don Bosco Centers as a development manager and
with the City of Kansas City, Missouri as an event planner for the Kansas City Convention
Center.
Mary currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Center for the Visually
Impaired and has volunteered in a fund development capacity for Ronald McDonald
House Charities, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Kansas City Art Institute, and Synergy
Services. Mary is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri and
she was a founding member of the Impact KC Foundation housed at the Greater Kansas
City Community Foundation. Most recently, she was tapped to help create the new
Friends of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts organization and will be manag-
ing publicity for the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Charity Game.
A native of Chicago, Mary is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in
English. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her husband Richard and their two
children.
