Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City is moving into a new communications era with a new voice at the center of its public engagement work.
City Manager Mario Vasquez has appointed Andrew Kling as the city’s first Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, a role created to guide how Kansas City speaks with residents, listens to communities, and tells the story of local government in a clearer and more connected way.
The appointment marks a major step for the City’s Communications Department as Kansas City continues work on wide-ranging priorities, including infrastructure, public service, economic development, and community engagement. Kling will lead efforts to strengthen communication across city government while helping residents better understand how decisions, programs, and services shape daily life.
“Andrew understands that strong communications is about more than getting information out. It is about building trust, creating connection, and helping people see how the work of local government touches their daily lives,” said Vasquez.
“He brings a thoughtful approach, strong leadership, and a real understanding of how to connect strategy with community. This appointment reflects the direction Kansas City is headed as we continue building a communications department that is responsive, collaborative, and centered on serving residents.”
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Kling brings a broad background in strategic communications, public affairs, media relations, nonprofit leadership, consulting, coalition-building, and international partnership work. His career has centered on helping communities explain who they are, what they need, and where they are going.
Before joining the city in this new role, Kling served as Community Outreach & Media Relations Director for Unbound, a Kansas City-based nonprofit working in 19 countries to help end extreme poverty. In that position, he helped guide media strategy, support rapid response communications, and connect with communities across five continents, learning from local families and the solutions they were building.
His work in the United States stretches across two decades of civic engagement and nonprofit experience, including efforts tied to civil rights, education, public health, and development.
A seventh-generation Missourian, Kling has called Kansas City home since 2013. That local connection now becomes part of a larger citywide mission: building stronger bridges between government and the people it serves.
“Trust is one of the most powerful resources a community can have. I am honored to be the first person to serve in this role, and grateful to City Manager Vasquez for his commitment to this important work,” said Kling.
“My main objective is to build up the people and programs that help Kansas City connect and strengthen our communities. We want to provide opportunities to deepen relationships between city government and the people, and the people with each other. This is work that requires all of us, and I’m honored to be able to serve in this new way.”
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With Kling now leading the department, Kansas City’s communications work is expected to become more strategic, more collaborative, and more focused on the people behind the city’s growth.
