Staff

Kort is well known to Kansas City’s non-profit Jewish community, having held various positions at the Jewish Community Center from 1984 until 2004. She began her tenure at the Center as cultural arts director, then became program director, assistant director, and eventually served as executive director from 1992 until she retired in 2004. Earlier in her career, she served as director of the University of Kansas Hillel. Her volunteer leadership positions include vice president of the Association of Jewish Communal Professionals, and board member of the National Jewish Community Centers Association. She currently serves on the Seniors Community Impact Panel of the United Way of Greater Kansas City.

Kort earned her BA from the State University of New York, graduating with highest honors, and holds a M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina, and a M S. in post secondary counseling from the University of Kansas.

Boyer-Shesol brings over 30 years nonprofit professional and board experience to the Jewish Heritage Foundation. She moved to the Kansas City area in 1985 after four years as executive director of the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center. Since then, she has held several nonprofit staff leadership positions, including executive director of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) – Greater Kansas City Section, program directorships at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, conference administrator for the Children’s Institute of Kansas City, loaned associate for Heart of America United Way, and associate director of Midwest WholeChild Development Group.

Her volunteer leadership activities include co-chair 2009 PMC Grantmakers Institute; chair 2008 PMC Grantmakers Institute; co-chair of the 2007 Council on Philanthropy’s Philanthropy Midwest Conference,  2009 United Way of Greater Kansas City Allocations team chair for the Healthy Families Healthy Communities impact area, Certification Team Member with the United Way of Greater Kansas City,  board development committee member for Nonprofit Connect, and a member of Grantmakers in Aging's 2010 Conference Program Committee and  the Membership Committee. She is a past board officer for the Nonprofit Communications Network, Jackson County CASA, NCJW – Greater Kansas City Section, Child Care Association of Johnson County, and Congregation Beth Torah.

Boyer-Shesol holds a B.S. in Recreation and Park Administration, Community Planning from Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ill.