Meet the Kauffman Foundation’s newest board member

February 9, 2017  |  Bobby Burch

 Esther L. George

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has added a new member to its high-caliber board of trustees.

The foundation announced Thursday that Esther L. George — the current president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — will serve on its board. As a member of the board, George will support the foundation’s mission of advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success.

“I am excited for this opportunity to contribute to the Kauffman Foundation’s mission of developing entrepreneurs, who drive the U.S. economy,” George said in a release. “The importance of the legacy Mr. Kauffman left for Kansas City through his foundation, and the support it provides to this region and beyond, cannot be overstated.”

George was appointed as the Kansas City Fed’s president in 2011 after serving nearly 30 years, most recently as chief operating officer. As president of the Kansas City Fed, she directs Federal Reserve activities in a seven-state region with offices in Kansas City, Omaha, Oklahoma City and Denver. George is also a member of the Federal Open Market committee, which is responsible for setting U.S. monetary policy.

“We are honored to have President George join the Kauffman Board of Trustees,” Kauffman board chairman Janice Kreamer said in a release. “Her deep roots in our community along with her understanding and expertise in economics and finance will greatly inform our work with entrepreneurs around the country. She has the experience and insight to help us move forward on our strategic directions.”

A Missouri native, George received a degree in business administration from Missouri Western State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is a graduate of the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

George joins nine other trustees on the Kauffman board, which you can check out here.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Thank a community leader; Nominate them to win $50,000

        By Tommy Felts | July 23, 2025

        Editor’s note: The following is a paid message from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, a fourth-generation Kansas Citian, is chief impact and strategy officer for the Kauffman Foundation. In communities around the country, people are doing uncommon things in the most common places — parks, food pantries, classrooms, soccer fields, and church…

        Crossroads distillery asks KC to make a toast in honor of founder lost in weekend motorcycle wreck

        By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

        Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the family of the late Jeff Evans. Click here to learn more or to donate.  With doors temporarily closed early this week (July 21-22) to mourn the loss of co-founder Jeff Evans, the team behind Mean Mule Distilling is asking its community to “grieve with us,…

        KC govtech startup: You shouldn’t have to know how local government works to get answers (or make impact)

        By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

        Even a ripple can make waves, said Mitch Mabrey, an exited cleantech founder whose new cause finds him on a mission to ensure that the voices of residents from all walks of life are more broadly heard — and answered — by their government officials. Resonus, his Kansas City-based political information platform is designed to…

        Northland BBQ spot opens, building flavors, menu from side hustle to storefront

        By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

        After a decade-long journey building his BBQ business — from tailgates to a just-opened brick-and-mortar restaurant — Wardell Hooks Jr. would only change one thing along the way: He’d have quit his full-time job sooner. “My thing is the joy,” said Hooks, founder of Off the Hook BBQ, describing the feeling of accomplishment from his…