THE JAY B. DILLINGHAM AWARD Butch Rigby (J.D. ’85)

owns the Screenland Companies in Kansas City, which he founded in 2008. Butch is the founder and chairman of Thank You Walt Disney Inc., dedicated to the preservation of Walt Disney’s first cartoon studio, “Laugh-O-Gram Studio,” located in Kansas City, Missouri. After law school, Butch went to Hollywood to work in the film industry crewing motion pictures.

JOELLEN FLANAGAN ENGELBART PRO BONO/PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD Traci Stansell (J.D. ’93)

commenced her legal career as a prosecutor specializing in property crimes. From prosecuting drug offenses to assuming leadership as a trial team leader in 2004, Traci's three-decade journey has been marked by versatility and leadership. Her commitment extended beyond the courtroom, nurturing budding legal talent and mentoring young attorneys in their career beginnings. In July 2023, Traci assumed the role of chief trial assistant in the Special Victims Unit. Her focus shifted to prosecuting cases involving domestic violence, sexual offenses against both adults and children, and child abuse. Traci's noteworthy awards include Warrant Desk Attorney of the Year from the Jackson County Prosecutors Office in 1999, Certificate of Appreciation from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, also in 1999, Top Prosecutor Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 2001, Patrick Hall Trial Attorney of the Year Award from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office in 2003 and Prosecutor of the Year from the Professional Fraud and Fire Investigators Association in 2017.

PRESIDENTS’ AWARD Cary Powers

has served the UMKC School of Law as its alumni and constituent relations officer for more than 14 years, and she has served Kansas City’s legal community for more than 40 years. Her presence was solidified in the legal community when she started as a receptionist in 1983 for the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.

Cary held many positions, which included bar directory editor, membership director and young lawyers coordinator. She was promoted to associate executive director and served in that role for 24 years. During her leadership at the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, she spearheaded public service projects that benefited many aspects of the community. Cary has planned numerous social events and fundraisers during her career, and her impact to keep alumni connected to the UMKC School of Law and raise critical funds for the UMKC Law Foundation will last for many years to come.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Hon. Jon R. Gray (J.D. ’76)

was appointed by the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, to serve on the Kansas City Human Relations Commission and as chair of the Liquor Control Board of Review of Kansas City, Missouri. Judge Gray was nominated by the Sixteenth Circuit Court Nominating Commission to fill a vacancy on the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri. He was appointed circuit judge by Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft on Dec. 5, 1986, and assumed office on Jan. 1, 1987. He was retained in office by voters at general elections in four subsequent years. From 1987-2009, he served as a faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in regional and national trial practice programs, and formerly served as faculty for the Kessler-Edison Program in Trial Techniques at the Emory University School of Law. During the 2007-08 bar year, Judge Gray served as chair of the National Bar Association Judicial Council, the oldest and largest association of Black judges and judicial officers. He is also a previous recipient of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City Difference Maker Award, the Lewis W. Clymer Award from the Jackson County Bar Association, the Carl R. Johnson Humanitarian Award from the Kansas City, Missouri Branch of the NAACP, the H. Michael Coburn Community Service Award from Legal Aid of Western Missouri, the Rosa Parks Award from the Jefferson City NAACP, the Thurgood Marshall Award from the NAACP Chapter at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and the Stanley D. Davis Award for Excellence in Professional Development from Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. He was elected as a delegate to The United Methodist Church General Conference in six different years by the Missouri Annual Conference and its predecessor, the Missouri West Annual Conference. He was elected to the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and served from 1988-2000 as a member of its reconstituted Board of Trustees following the imposition of sanctions against the Southern Methodist University athletic program by the NCAA. He served a term on the Southern Methodist University Executive Committee and chaired its Legal Affairs Committee. In 2004, he was elected by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church to serve an eight-year term as a member of the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church, during which time he sat as a member of the church’s final arbiter of church law. He was a contributing author for the 1991 and 2002 editions of State of Black Kansas City, published by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.