Welcoming KC: Strategies for Building an Inclusive Kansas City

Amy J. Coffman is a civic strategist and longtime advocate for immigrant inclusion, with deep roots in both Missouri and Alaska. Raised in Blue Springs, Amy spent much of her adult life in Anchorage, where she earned a degree in Linguistics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She served for eight years as staff to members of the Alaska State Legislature and later joined the Mayor’s Office in Anchorage, where she led the city’s Welcoming Anchorage initiative to advance equity and belonging.

In 2019, Amy returned to Kansas City and now serves as Co-Chair of Welcoming KC, helping build municipal systems that ensure multilingual residents can access public services and feel a sense of welcome. She is also the Founder of Lighting Up Language, LLC—a consultancy she launched to help nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses create linguistically and culturally inclusive practices that serve diverse communities with clarity and care.