Angi Cain Hejduk is a long-time arts advocate, community builder, and nonprofit leader whose work has helped shape the cultural landscape of Johnson County and the greater Kansas City region. She currently serves as the inaugural Public Art Specialist for the Johnson County Park and Recreation District (JCPRD), where she is stewarding the district’s growing public art collection and helping chart a thoughtful, forward-looking expansion of public art throughout the county. In her first months with JCPRD, Angi has focused on building partnerships, deepening community engagement, and championing future projects-including new permanent and temporary artworks and a nature-centered residency program inspired by the work of JCPRD’s Natural Resources team. Her approach emphasizes storytelling rooted in the land, wildlife, and prairie ecology of Johnson County, and the role of public art in strengthening our relationship to the green spaces we share.

Before joining JCPRD, Angi spent nearly a decade as CEO of InterUrban ArtHouse, where she worked alongside artists, educators, and partners to build one of the region’s most welcoming and impactful creative communities. Under her leadership, IUAH expanded affordable studio space, professional and business-skills support for artists, school-based and real-world learning opportunities for youth, and programming exploring the intersection of art and healing. She helped foster a safe, vibrant place where artists could create, collaborate, and thrive—and where the community could gather to experience art. IUAH’s growth and visibility also contributed to the continued momentum of Downtown Overland Park as a thriving cultural district.

Earlier in her career, Angi served with Cornerstones of Care, supporting community-based programs focused on youth and family well-being. Across all chapters of her professional journey, she has brought the same values: compassion, creativity, and a deep belief in the power of the arts to build community.

Inas Younis was elected to the Overland Park City Council in November 2023, following years of dedicated civic engagement and public service.

She worked as an independent journalist and commentator, with her writing published in major outlets including The Washington Post and The Kansas City Star. In the literary field, she co-authored three children’s books and had her original monologue featured by the Unicorn Theatre.
A devoted supporter of the arts, Inas served as Chair of the Friends of Overland Park Arts Advisory Board and was a board member of the Kansas City Public Theatre, an organization dedicated to providing year-round, free theatrical entertainment to the public.

Inas lives in Overland Park with her husband of 30 years and is the mother of three adult children.

Kara Hettinger is the Director of Arts Education at the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College. At the MTC she programs and manages school and family programming as well as community outreach offerings. Kara worked professionally as an actor, stage manager, director and teaching artist for more than 20 years before coming to JCCC and still remains active and connected to the Kansas City arts community.

Previously, Kara was the Director of Arts Education for the Kansas City Chapter of Young Audiences as well as the Education Director for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Kara was also an Adjunct Professor of Theatre at Benedictine College. Early in her career Kara was the co-founder, producer and director for her own theatre company, for which she directed several new works. Kara earned a B.A. in Theatre from Loyola University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theatre at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Kara serves on the leadership team for the Plains Presenters, a network of presenting venues located in the Midwest and is a founding member of the Midwest Teaching Artist Coalition, a collective of arts and culture institutions dedicated to fostering teaching artistry in the region

Originally from Kansas, Sav Rodgers is an American filmmaker, writer, film curator, and pop culture documentarian.

Sav’s debut feature Chasing Chasing Amy explores the complicated legacy of Chasing Amy (1997) and its profound impression on his life. In 2018, Sav gave a TED Talk on the subject, appropriately titled, “The rom-com that saved my life.” The film had its World Premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, and played at prestigious festivals including the BFI London Film Festival, Outfest Los Angeles, and the Palm Springs International Festival. Sav was awarded the Cleveland International Film Festival’s DReam Maker Award for pioneering LGBTQ+ filmmakers for his work on the documentary.

Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2024, Sav’s experiences as a queer Midwesterner with a wild imagination have spurred the writing of scripts that center on highly specific, surprising stories about LGTBQ+ people. His screenplays have been recognized by GLAAD, Outfest, ScreenCraft, among others. His next film, a surreal sci-fi comedy called Pancake Skank, will be executive-produced by Lilly Wachowski and The Duplass Brothers.  Sav is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Transgender Film Center, a nonprofit organization that helps trans creators bring finished films to audiences around the world. In 2024, the organization awarded $100K in funding to trans storytellers and is on track to grant $195K to trans artists in need in 2025. Additionally, in 2025, Sav and the Transgender Film Center were awarded SXSW’s Community Service Award for Film & TV.