Business, Civic Leader Karen Daniel Joins KC Royals Ownership Group

The Kansas City Royals last Thursday, Nov. 12 announced that Karen Daniel, retired Black & Veatch Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer and President of the Global Finance & Technology Solutions Division has joined the Royals ownership group.

John Sherman, Royals Chairman and CEO said that he and his co-owners enthusiastically welcome Daniel, especially given her community engagement. “Karen is great addition to the ownership group,” Sherman noted. “She’s been a decades-long business and civic leader in Greater Kansas City, has a deep passion for the game, and seamlessly fits the criteria of the ownership group. She will undoubtedly bring meaningful value to our efforts.”

Daniel, who is a past Board Chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, a past President of the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board, and the 2020 Athena Award honoree said the focus and composition of the ownership group was a particular draw. “The entire ownership group John established is deeply committed to enhancing our community, which was really impressive, and equally important to me,” Daniel explained.

Sherman also announced that Daniel would be joining the Board of Royals Charities and will help guide community engagement efforts throughout the region. “Karen’s wideranging and committed involvement in so many corners of our community will be instrumental on behalf of Royals Charities,” he said. “Karen has truly placed her handprint on Kansas City. We look forward to adding her capacity on behalf of our team, our fans and our community.”

Making “the Impossible Become Possible”
It was October 1964, and the St. Louis Cardinals were playing the New York Yankees. Daniel remembers – like it was yesterday – sitting at her grandfather’s knee as he painstakingly taught her the rules of baseball. He explained to her that when you understand the rules, you can engage in the game much more. She was six years old.

“Grandpa had a small general store at the corner of 18th & Vine, where The Blue Room is today. On the weekend, we would watch the baseball games, season after season,” she explained.

“He especially loved the pitchers, so he taught me about the art of pitching – and how that was the real control of the game. As the years went on, spending time with him made me a lifelong fan of the game.”

“The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is also an important part of the story,” Daniel continued. “It’s remarkable they’re having their 100th anniversary in the year I have the privilege of joining the group. Many people may not realize the Negro Leagues included three women as well. As an African American woman, it’s an incredibly special tribute to them and meaningful to me.”

“In making this investment,” Daniel concluded. “Grandpa was my inspiration. It’s a way to honor him – in a way that he, too, could have never dreamed. Investing in the Royals honors Grandpa and my entire family, while providing an amazing opportunity to bring together my love for baseball and Kansas City. It’s truly the stuff of dreams,” Daniel said. “For this sixyear- old little girl, the impossible has become possible.” 

About Karen Daniel Karen Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU), and an MS in Accounting from UMKC. She was the first recipient of the Kansas City Business Journal’s CFO of the Year Award; received the 2015 UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management Alumni Achievement Award; and in 2017 received an honorary doctorate degree from NWMSU for her commitment to education and the community.

She serves on the corporate Boards of Commerce Bancshares, Snap-on Incorporated and Livongo Health, and recently completed her term on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City board. Among her extensive civic board service, she is a Past President of the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board, having led the $80M restoration of the Liberty Memorial, and has also served on the boards of the Women’s Employment Network, KU Advancement; the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Northwest Missouri State University Foundation, City Year, and the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care, to name a few.

She was also named by then President Barack Obama as Vice Chair of the Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa.