Staff and Volunteers

Ethan Starr is an architectural historian and Kansas City native, serving as Historic Kansas City’s Executive Director since May 2025. He returned to Missouri after receiving a Master’s degree in architectural history from the University of Virginia. While in Central Virginia, Ethan worked as the Director of Museum Operations & Outreach at the Louisa County Historical Society. With just short of a decade’s experience working for Missouri State Parks, Ethan spent the last two years with the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office’s Architectural Preservation Services Section. His work there entailed reviewing historic tax credit applications, monitoring easement properties, and conducting community outreach. Ethan credits earlier employment with Kansas City’s Historic Preservation Office and Thomas Hart Benton Home & Studio State Historic Site for his interest in public history and preservation. Feel free to reach him via email at estarr@historickansascity.org.

Nick van Deventer has served as Historic Kansas City’s summer intern. A Lenexa native, he is currently a Shelby Scholar of Public Policy at the University of Alabama, majoring in English & History, with a minor in Urban Development. Nick’s work with HKC consists of archival research, article writing, event planning, and architectural photography, among other tasks. Outside of historic preservation, his interests include reading, writing, and playing tennis.