Kathleen Holeman, a part-time voice and piano faculty member, was named Artist of the Year by the Allied Arts Council at the 2023 Mayor’s Awards for the Arts. In addition to teaching at Missouri Western and in her private studio, Holeman has been a working jazz vocalist, pianist and trombonist locally and in Kansas City and the Ozarks areas for over 36 years. For the past several years, she has been the director of St. Joseph Big Band, which entertains area residents and visitors monthly. Holeman is a Missouri Western alum, receiving a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1990.
