EKC Foundation Board of Directors
Meet the EncoreKC! Foundation Board of Directors
Linda Bruns - President
Linda Bruns is a retired registered nurse with over 40-years of experience in critical care and oncology nursing. She served as the educator for a surgical intensive care unit, responsible for new employee orientations and ongoing competency evaluations of all employees. She served on the Standards committee of the nursing department of an academic medical center, participating in creating and updating standards of practice, including policies and procedures. She also served as the coordinator for an oncology practice to direct the work required for the practice to meet CMS standards for electronic medical records.
Linda has served multiple positions of leadership in the churches of which she was a member. She is an ordained deacon in the Baptist church and served as the Moderator of the church council. She has chaired ministry search committees and served as a Sunday School teacher. She has been a part of the music ministry of each of the churches, including as the organist and as a member of the choir and handbell ensembles.
Linda served on the Board of Directors of a local L’Arche organization, and is serving as the President of the Board of Directors of the EncoreKC! Foundation. She is also a volunteer with the Johnson County Library in the Interlibrary Loan department, and has volunteered with the Friends of the Johnson County Library Sort Center.
Linda has been a member of EncoreKC! since it’s beginning, and enjoys making music with each of the ensembles in which she participates. Choral and instrumental music have been a vital part of Linda’s life since childhood. She volunteers at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, enjoying working with other volunteers to provide a positive experience for the patrons. Most importantly, Linda enjoys her family and friends and the diversity all of these experiences bring to her life.
Jim Kelly - Treasurer
Jim Kelly is serving as the Treasurer for the EncoreKC! Foundation and the EncoreKC! Chorus Leadership Team. He was one of the founding directors in 2022 and has served from the beginning of the Board.
Jim recently retired from a 46-year IT career, with the last 25 years spent at Burns & McDonnell Engineering. He is a musician hobbyist (horn, trumpet, choir), sings in the Chorus and Act II, and plays horn in the Brass and Woodwind ensembles with EncoreKC!
In his spare time, Jim enjoys working out, learning to play the piano, reading, and helping his wife (Pam) with her Claude T. Smith Publications music publishing company, where he is responsible for Copyrights and Composer Royalty statements. He is also a member of the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church choir and wind ensemble, and is in his 2nd year as a Deacon at the church.
Chris Culp - Secretary
Chris Culp is a lifelong multi-instrumentalist, and actively performs on oboe, English horn, and variety of percussion instruments. Over the past 30 years, he has performed with numerous Kansas City–area ensembles, including the EncoreKC! Chorus, Shawnee Concert Band, Kansas City Wind Symphony, Overland Park Orchestra, Olathe Civic Band & Orchestra, Lenexa Community Orchestra, and in several religious settings. He brings energy and curiosity to every musical opportunity, including playfully embracing his role as the “non-singer” on the EncoreKC! Board. Chris is especially inspired by EncoreKC!’s mission to enhance the lives of adults who seek to explore and grow through music. He applies his professional engineering background to provide support to the organization as Secretary of the Board.
Harold B. Frye, Ed.D. - Board Member
Husband to Carol Vaughan Frye (deceased 2020) for 50 years. Three sons, two daughters-in-law, and three granddaughters. Currently Adjunct Associate Professor Graduate Education Programs and Doctoral Studies, Baker University. Served 35 years in public education including 13 years as principal and 19 years as district administrator in Kansas City, Kansas, Center, and Hickman Mills School Districts. 1966 graduate University of Missouri-Kansas City. Two graduate degrees earned from UMKC (1972 and 1973) and Doctor of Education from KU (1977) with post-doctoral study at UCLA. UMKC Alumni Service Award – 2005. MU Presidential Citation – 2006. Avila University Service Award – 2007. Fellow, The Learning Exchange awarded by Hall Family Foundation. Created and directed Kansas City Professional Development Schools Collaborative and West Central (MO) Curriculum Directors Consortium. Lion of the Year, Hickman Mills Lions Club. Numerous leadership positions in professional, civic, and scouting organizations. U. S. Army Vietnam veteran in aerial reconnaissance (1969-70). Tour of duty served in West Germany in military intelligence (1970-71).
Harold founded Music 4 Jeremy's Cherubs in memory of his son, Jeremy. The nonprofit supports traumatically injured soldiers, and over the years, the organization has awarded many scholarships and has donated 5,000+ musical instruments and 800+ guitars to program participants.
Linda Hoffman - Board Member
Linda Hoffman serves as a Board member of EncoreKC! in memory of her deceased husband, Joe Hoffman, founding Board President . After retiring from a 31 year career at UMKC, Linda has served terms as Board Secretary of First Christian Church, Louisburg, Kansas, and also various positions on the Boards of the Miami County Extension Master Gardeners, and the Friends of Ursuline Gardens, Paola, Kansas.
Linda’s musical talents lie in having played viola with the Springfield, Mo Symphony Orchestra many years ago. Switching to violin in recent years, she enjoys learning fiddling styles and tunes with a Kansas City based program, Drunken Fiddles. She also enjoys playing ukulele with local monthly jam sessions.
As a Kansas Extension Master Gardener, class of 2004, Linda served in Miami County, then transferred upon moving to Johnson County in 2023. Enjoying gardening of all kinds, many musical events, book clubs, knitting groups, church volunteering, Linda enjoys an active, happy retirement.
Vickie Trott - Board Member
Vickie Trott is a retired businessperson with over 40 years experience in accounting, human resources and business management in a number of industries including the non-profit sector.
Vickie serves on the board of directors of EncoreKC! She has most recently served as Treasurer of Youth Chorus of Kansas City. Vickie also served on the board of the Johnson County Library Foundation as President, Past President, and Treasurer, after serving six years on the Johnson County Friends of the Library Board including nearly four years as President. She also served as the Chair of a County Librarian search committee in 2011.
Vickie is also an active volunteer with Girls Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri serving as Treasurer of the board of directors through 2024, and as a co-chair of the 2022Inspire A Girl Event, and as a Gold Award advisor.
Vickie has also volunteered for Harvesters, Johnson County Meals on Wheels, Heart to Heart International, and other local organizations, and served on her church and denomination boards in a number of capacities, including President of the MidWest Unitarian Universalist Foundation. In 2015, she was inducted into the Lenexa Volunteer Hall of Fame.
Vickie enjoys music of all genres, including choral music, reading non-fiction and mysteries, enjoying family and friends.
