2023 Club Officers

Since I have been a KCCA member for 23 plus years, most of you know me or at least have seen me and my wife Denise at club meetings and events.  I have served as KCCA president in the past in 2002, 2003 and 2005. I have the privilege of calling many members my good friends. We have been through so much together, they are family.

 Denise and I met in 1974 and were married in 1977. I have one son, Keith who attended many shows and events with us in his younger years. He is now 39 years old, married to my favorite daughter-n-law Bekah and the father to my grandson Joe.  Joe is really into Corvettes and has attended many shows and events with us.

My past professional life has been varied. First 25 years or so have been in production management including Plant Operations Manager & Quality Assurance Director for Constar International. Quality Assurance Director at Marley Corp. Started getting into computers in the 80’s and stayed there until retirement. Compter Network Engineer for TWA, America Airlines, General Motors and The Federal Reserve. I have been fortunate to be able to stay in the KC area the entire time. Denise worked as a hairdresser at the same shop for 52 years, retiring in 2015.

When and how did you get involved with Corvette?

I have always been into cars. My first car was a 1969 Rally Sport Z/28 that I owned from 1974 to 2004. When I first met Denise, she was driving a 1967 Marina Blue Chevelle so I knew she liked cars and was a keeper. Our actual first Corvette was a 1987 that I bought wrecked. I removed all drivetrain components & interior. I installed them into a project 1957 Chevy truck that was a father/son project. We put the complete 87 Corvette engine, transmission, front and rear suspension under the 57 truck.  Our first drivable Corvette was the 1998 C5 that we still own and drive. It was Denises daily driver from May of 1999 to her retirement in 2015. Rain, snow, sleet, hail our car has seen it all. We still get it out several times a week and of course to KCCA events. 

What made you decide to get involved as an officer of KCCA?

In 2001, Dean and Linda Christian invited Denise and I over to their house for dinner. Dean said he has been talking to several other members of KCCA and asked if I would be interested in running for president of the club. After thinking on it for a few days I decided to run. Back then, we always had 2 or 3 people running for each office. I was voted in.  This time in 2022, I was approached by several long-term members asking me to run again.

What message would you have to invite people to come join in the fun?

WORD OF MOUTH is our best recruitment tool. I worked with Duane Christian back in 1998-1999 at TWA. We got to talking about my new Corvette. He stated that his dad (Dean) had 2 new C5 Corvettes and was president of a Corvette club. I though two new corvettes? He must be rich! I learned the story and was more intrigued. We went to our first KCCA meeting in July of 1999, everyone was so friendly and nice, we joined in August of 1999. One of my goals is to grow the club in membership. If we are not growing, we are dying. I encourage every member to talk to others about our club. We have a lot of great members and enjoy our hobby. GET INVOLVED, help with a car show, judge, park cars, help the chairperson of the show. Put together a weekend cruise event. Ask members that have done shows, cruises, events. They will help you put one on of your own. 

Learn about your 2021 Club Treasurer
Kay Carlile
Wayne and I have been married since 1980.  Together we have a total of 4 children, 4 granddaughters, 3 grandsons, 2 great grandsons and 3 great granddaughters (one of our great granddaughters was born on my 65th birthday – a wonderful surprise!). 

When and how did you get involved with Corvettes?
Wayne always wanted a ’41 Chevy.  I surprised him with one for his 45th birthday.  We started going to cruise nights almost every Friday and Saturday.  We were at the Winstead’s In Liberty, MO in July of 1992.  Wayne was looking at cars and I was sitting with a couple of our grandchildren.  He asked me to come look at a car he had found.  It was a Corvette.  It was a mess – paint was spiderwebbed, etc.  needed a lot of work but it had a for sale sign in the window.  Wayne was telling me that he could do all the work that needed to be done except the paint job.  About that time the owner came over and I asked him what year it was.  He said “1971” I looked at Wayne and said “buy it”.  It is the year I graduated from Bonner Springs High School.  He did and the Corvettes just kind of multiplied from there.  We bought the 1996 in December, 1995 and the 2000 in December, 1999.  Of course I thought we would trade one for another……boy was I wrong.  That is one reason why the license plate on the 2000 is RLAST1 – I meant it this time! 

How long have you been a member of the club? We joined KCCA in November 1998.  We had been friends with a number of KCCA members for sometime . 

What made you decide to get involved being an officer?  Wayne was KCCA PR officer for 6 years back in the early 2000’s.  He did the leg work and I did the computer work.  I always enjoyed it.  So after Wayne was no longer PR, I was KCCA membership officer for maybe 5 or 6 years.  I enjoyed so much meeting all the new members.  But I was still working and it just got to be a little much with us working on both the Superior Corvette Show and the Vettes on the Square show – I think I got burnt out.  Then November 2, 2018 I retired.  With Brenda’s nudging I decided I would like to get more involved again. 

What message would you have to invite people to come join in the fun?  This is an easy one.  The very first time, way back in 1993, Wayne and I were at the Superior Corvette Show.  We were not members of any car club at the time.   We really didn’t know anyone but there were people sitting in circles visiting.  I was in the ladies room and I asked someone that was in there also….how do you get to join that circle (thinking you had to me be club member) her answer to me was “Bring a chair”.  Her name is Karen Primm.  It was the best advice.  So I would invite people – the more you put into just joining in the better time you will have.

Thank you Kay for sharing!
Kay can be reached via email at kaycarlile0727@gmail.com