GKCOA Officers, Directors and Assigners

Dave Misel is currently serving in his first term as GKCOA President. Dave began working football and basketball in 1981. He worked a lot of lower level games early in his career and worked on Steve Taylor and Ken Raffety's crew in his early years before moving to Rich Wylies crew in Kansas City. When Rich retired he became the white hat.

Dave has belonged to MCOA, GKCOA, PEBO, and North Central officials associations.

He has worked one state championship in basketball in 2004.

In 1994, Bill George hired Dave to work in the Heart of America conference, working there 10 years, including 3 NAIA playoff games.

In 2004, Bill Lowe hired him into the MIAA conference where he worked 10 seasons retiring in 2013.

Since taking over the crew in Kansas City, they have worked numerous playoff games including state championship games in 2006 and 2016.

Dave continues to work lower level games in KC area to mentor young officials. "I have made a lot of friends in the officiating world. I have been fortunate to work with some great people that have mentored me and I want to return the favor to our young officials in the Kansas City area."

Jason Hill is in his first tenure as Vice President of Basketball for the association.

Vice President of Football Jim Rusconi is one of the most senior members of the GKCOA in not only years of service to high school athletics, but post season assignments as well.  His officiating career began in 1963 as both a football and basketball official while a freshman at Rockhurst High School.

Jim became a registered official with the state of Missouri in 1969 and since that time has worked numerous playoff games including the Class 1 state championship in 2003.  Before knee injuries forced Jim to retire in 1998 he was a highly decorated official on the hardwood. He worked numerous MSHSAA playoff games and in 1983 he officiated the National Christian College Division II Championship tournament.  In 1998 Jim was appointed as a MSHSAA basketball mechanics observer a position that he still holds.

A member of the GKCOA since 1973 Jim has been given many awards including the "Steve Connor Football Award", "Dub Gleason Basketball Award", "Bill Pickett Lifetime Achievement Award" and honored by MSHSAA for 25 years of service.

Ken Corum is serving in his third term as Vice President of Volleyball for the GKCOA.  Ken has officiated volleyball and basketball in the Kansas City area since relocating from eastern Iowa nearly 20 years ago.

Ken has been selected to officiate two state volleyball tournaments in Kansas (2000, 2001) and one in Missouri (2015), along with line judging in the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament (2012-2016).  In addition, he is a long time club volleyball referee, working at the USAV junior national championships in New Orleans during the summer of 2015.

He recently completed his Doctorate and teaches in the Math Department at Staley High School. Ken lives in the Northland with his teenage son, Murphy.

My name is Terry Stevens and I am the first Vice President of Baseball/Softball for the GKCOA's expansion into Baseball and Softball. I was born and raised in St. Louis (go Cardinals and Blues!). I graduated from Affton High School in 1976 and from UMSL in 1980. I have two MA's from UMKC (Education and European History). I moved to KC in 1980 to begin teaching at New Mark Middle School in the NKC District. After 4 years, I transferred to Winnetonka and taught history and government for 27 years before retiring following the 2010-11 school year. I coached football for 6 years and baseball for 17. I am widowed and have one son, Brendan, who is 26.

I began umpiring in 1973, doing 7 and 8 year old baseball and softball for $3 a game. I have worked high school, tournament, Legion, MINK and D-II baseball. I have worked numerous sectionals and quarterfinals and went to state in 2010 and 2014. In softball, I have worked high school (State 2008, 2013, and 2017) Men's and Women's Class A fast pitch (in St. Louis in the 70's) and various house leagues in St. Louis. My first umpire instructor was a former minor league umpire, Roy Jaeger. Roy taught me to always hustle, be loud, make your calls quick and walk away tough. He said the most important though, was to have fun. Umpiring is hard enough without seeming like work. Those are lessons that have stuck with me.

Nikki Burkey was elected to her first term as Association Secretary in 2019.  She became a GKCOA member in 2017 as a volleyball official.  Nikki has been selected as a District line judge each of her three years as a volleyball official. 

Nikki and her husband Robert live in Independence.  Their daughter, Brooklyn (15), is a freshman setter on the William Chrisman Bears varsity volleyball team.  Brooklyn also plays Club volleyball, so volleyball in the Burkey household is a year-round sport.  Robert and Nikki's son, Jacob (12), will play one more year as a seventh grader with the Missouri Vipers football team to defend their super bowl title, then move on to Bingham football in eighth grade.  

Nikki graduated from Park University with a Master's degree in educational leadership in 2016, but left the teaching profession in 2017, to return to the legal field as an education litigation paralegal at Guin Mundorf, LLC.  Officiating volleyball allows Nikki to be a part of the sport she loves and is a way to keep her involved with area schools—it's a win-win!

Kevin is entering his first term as the GKCOA treasurer.

Dixie Wescott is in her sixth term as At-Large Director for the GKCOA. Dixie has officiated volleyball for 13 years. She has been selected to officiate three state volleyball tournaments for MSHSAA. Dixie is also the President for the GKCOA Scholarship Fund.

Dixie is employed by the North Kansas City School District, as an Assistant Principal at Winnetonka High School. She is finishing up her 34th year in education, in which she has been a Collegiate and High School Volleyball Coach before joining the Officiating side of Volleyball. She will become the KC Area Volleyball Rules Interpreter for MSHSAA in the Fall of 2019.

I have officiated basketball for 51 years going back to 1969. I have also officiated biddy basketball elementary basketball, middle/junior high, high school, JUCO, NAIA, International, PROgressive, Wheel Chair and NBA games. I was a PRO-AM paid clinician for 5 years.

On December 13, 1983, Jesse Hall and Joe Borgia worked the highest scoring game in NBA history in Denver, CO. DETROIT 186 – DENVER 184 (3OT).

John Kilmer is in his first tenure as At-Large Director for the association.