Donald J. Hall, Jr. Named Chair
Kansas City, MO. April 29, 2026–As Evelyn Craft Belger completes the final year of her four-year term as Chair of the Nelson-Atkins Board of Trustees and transitions to Vice Chair, the Board has unanimously decided her successor will be Donald Hall, Jr. Hall is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hallmark Cards, Inc. Don Hall, Jr.’s involvement in the Nelson-Atkins spans years, as he was first elected to the Board in 2016 and has served as Chair of the Investment and Artistic Content and Educational Strategies Committee.
“The Nelson-Atkins has transformed in recent years under the guidance of Evelyn Craft Belger, and the momentum will continue with the leadership and support of Don Hall and our incredible Board of Trustees,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins.
“The Nelson plays a vitally important role in our community,” said Hall. “It is a real pleasure to be part of this board and to follow in Evelyn’s footsteps in charting the path for the future of the Nelson for all people in Kansas City.”
Additionally, six new Trustees have been appointed to the Nelson-Atkins Board: Owen Buckley, David Dillon, Jeff Hargroves, Eleanor Lisbon, Jay Pack, and Bob Regnier.
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Owen Buckley founded LANE 4 Property Group in 2006. It quickly emerged as one of the industry’s most recognizable firms in the Midwest, specializing in brokerage, management, and development. With his four-decade tenure, Buckley is regarded as one of the foremost authorities in the Midwest commercial real estate industry. He has been the visionary and driving force in transformative developments including Sporting Kansas City Soccer Stadium, 39Rainbow, the redevelopment of Red Bridge Shopping Center, Metcalf South Mall, Corinth Square, and the Shops of Prairie Village. Currently, Buckley identifies real estate opportunities and strategic partnerships, and provides mentoring for real estate professionals.
Eleanor A. Lisbon MD, MPH is a native of Kansas City, family physician, and President of LisBio, LLC, a consulting firm and specializes in the strategic design and execution of Phase 1 to Phase 3 human clinical trials. Following a successful private practice and academic career, Lisbon joined IQVIA (formerly Quintiles) as a principal investigator working across all medical therapeutic areas and gaining expertise in first in-human, high risk biologics and monoclonal antibody studies. She later joined Global Blood Therapeutics as a Senior Director in the Clinical Science division, traveling to Brazil, Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, meeting with physicians, nurses, and patients. Over the past 20 years, Lisbon has served on a variety of non-profit boards and has co-authored several published manuscripts.
David Dillon, the retired Chairman and CEO of The Kroger Co., received his law degree from Southern Methodist University. During his Kroger tenure, he grew revenue by $45 billion, created 53,000 new jobs, reduced costs for eight consecutive years, and returned $9.2 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. He serves on the MRI Board of Global Directors as well as several other Boards, including 3M, the Union Pacific Corporation, and Hallmark. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Kansas Endowment, the University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board, and the River Club
Jay Pack, the former owner and CEO of Standard Fruit & Vegetable Co., Inc., is currently an investor in and serves on the Board of Directors for Mission Produce. He is also a minority owner of the Kansas City Royals. Jay and his wife, Ruthie, created the Pack Family Foundation with a focus on education and the arts. The foundation’s Career Pathways program is credited with employing more than a thousand students from around the world being employed in the fresh produce industry. Besides the Nelson-Atkins Board, Pack currently serves on the George W. Bush Presidential Center Executive Advisory Council and the Nasher Sculpture Center’s Program Advisory Committee.
Native Kansas Citian Jeff Hargroves is the Founder and CEO of ProPharma Group, a global business providing medical information and compliance consulting services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. He is active in many civic, philanthropic, private business, and industry organizations, including Pipeline Entrepreneurs, the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, and the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers. He is particularly interested in entrepreneurial initiatives serving those most in need.
Bob Regnier is a native Kansas Citian who was President and CEO of Bank of Blue Valley for 31 years. A former Chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Regnier is also active on the board of directors of Union Station Kansas City, Kansa Valley Capital, Inc., UMKC Foundation, Krucial Rapid Response, Kinetic, Hawthorn Banchares, and the affordable housing committee of KC Rising. In addition to Regnier’s business, civic, and philanthropic commitments, he also manages the Regnier Family Foundation and is active in local and state politics.
Neil Karbank will remain as Secretary, and Sandra Lawrence will remain as Treasurer.
As the museum embarks on a major capital project, the Board has also initiated a new body, The International Board Council, an invitation-only group of museum supporters and ambassadors from around the world who seek to deepen their involvement with the museum’s mission and help advance awareness of the Nelson-Atkins collection. Former trustees, close friends, advisors, business leaders, philanthropists, and collectors often have multiple commitments and busy travel schedules, which may hamper their ability to regularly participate and serve on the Nelson-Atkins’ Board or committees. To address this, through International Board Council involvement, members will have opportunities to participate in the life of the museum and engage, without the obligation to attend multiple meetings. Each member will serve a two-year term.
Photo credit: Dana Anderson