After scrapping previous pick, Missouri governor names new KC police board member
Two months after being forced to withdraw his previous pick, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Monday appointed real estate attorney Heather Sicks to the powerful Kansas City police board.
The Republican governor announced the nomination in a news release Monday afternoon. Sicks serves as vice president and general counsel at EPR Properties, a Kansas City-based real estate investment trust, according to a biography shared by Kehoe’s office.
The appointment, which requires Senate confirmation, appears to mark the culmination of a chaotic appointment process for a vacancy on the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, which controls Kansas City’s police department.
Kehoe’s appointment came at a crucial time as the city prepares to ramp up security ahead of World Cup matches this summer. The state run, five-member board includes four members appointed by the governor while Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas occupies the fifth spot.
Kehoe was forced to pull his previous nominee, Heather Hall, after a key senator blocked the nomination. Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat, refused to sign off on Hall’s appointment, citing concerns about her objectivity and willingness to hold officers accountable for misconduct.
Nurrenbern’s success in blocking the nomination of a sitting commissioner was exceptionally rare in Missouri politics. She was in charge of sponsoring the appointment because Hall lived in her district and governors typically receive some form of sign-off from senators before announcing nominations.
Sicks will likely face an easier path to Senate confirmation. Sicks lives in the district of Senate Majority Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican and staunch law enforcement advocate. Luetkemeyer confirmed to The Star on Monday that he will sponsor the appointment.
In addition to her role at EPR Properties, Sicks is also involved in various Kansas City-based organizations. She serves as a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and is a graduate of the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program.
Prior to her current role, Sicks was an attorney at the prominent Stinson law firm and was based in the firm’s real estate and public finance division from 2011 to 2016, according to her company bio.
Sicks earned her law degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree from Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
