Evan Verploegh has served as Executive Director of the IRC since April 2023. He joined the staff as Program Coordinator in January 2020 after relocating to the Kansas City area after spending much of his life in Wisconsin. Prior to joining the IRC, he served as event and program coordinator for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, where he oversaw the successful Project North Music, Art, and Environmental Festival. Evan is a 2015 graduate of Edgewood College (Madison, Wisc.), where he earned his degree in Journalism. During his time in college, he embarked on an extensive study abroad period in Morocco where he produced a long-form piece on the Transahara Music Festival in the Sahara Desert. In his free time, Evan is part of the Kansas City music scene as a drummer, where he leads jazz and experimental ensembles. Evan also is an avid tennis player, and enjoys patronizing many of the fabulous artistic events that Kansas City has to offer.