ECM Spotlight: Dominique Blue of City of Kansas City, Missouri

Meet our June Employee Campaign Manager (ECM) Spotlight: Dominique Blue of City of Kansas City, Missouri! 

When you ask anyone at the City of Kansas City, Mo. about Dominique Blue, you’re likely to hear a common refrain: ‘She’s the heart of our charitable efforts.’ As the primary lead for the city’s charity campaign with United Way, Dominique isn’t just managing logistics—she’s changing the culture of giving across the organization and making a lasting impact on lives both inside and beyond City Hall. 

Dominique Blue serves as a policy advisor to the city manager, a role she defines as deeply embedded in employee engagement and development alongside regulatory work. But her colleagues know her for much more than her job description. She’s described as the “centerpiece” of the City’s charity campaign—creative, strategic, people-focused, and optimistic. 

“Over the last two years, she’s increased the number of contributions, the average gift size, and participation,” said Kelly Postlewait, Assistant City Manager for Kansas City, Missouri. “She’s the glue—she brings departments together that never talk. Suddenly we’re all doing this for the same reason.” 

Dominique’s approach? “I’m a people-first person,” she says. “I care about your why. I care about how decisions impact people, and I care about anything that is actually offering a realistic impact for good.”  

In Dominique’s second year working with the city, she worked with a teammate who was the organization’s United Way campaign coordinator. She was drawn in to learn more about the campaign’s mission and impact and donate, beginning her dedicated involvement with United Way. 

Now she leads the organization’s campaign, presenting to every department, reaching thousands of employees, and increasing both donations and engagement each year. But what drives her most is not just the data—it’s the stories. 

“I would say the people are what keep me engaged in doing the work. When you can see the impact that you make—it pushes you to want to do more and get more people involved so they can feel this warm and fuzzy feeling that you’re feeling,” she said. 

Growing up in Kansas City’s urban core, Dominique saw firsthand the power of support systems like United Way.  

“When I was younger, I had some family members who struggled with housing instability,” she shared. “I remember a time, I think they were in a shelter and were receiving some services for clothing and maybe some health care items from United Way. It sticks with you because you know that person for the rest of your life and they were impacted by the organization.” 

Dominique’s influence extends far past fundraising goals. Her work has helped boost employee engagement citywide, with measurable improvements in morale and participation. 

“The thing that makes Dominique a great leader is she genuinely cares about the people that she leads, and she’s really invested in making the workplace a better place,” said Kelly. “Every day she comes to work thinking about how she can do that. Her approach is never one-size-fits-all. She tailors her message, reads the room, and shifts gears based on people’s energy and interest.”  

She shared an inspiring quote from Dominique, “Everyone is engaged for different reasons, and that’s okay. That’s what makes it beautiful.” 

In a government organization where every role is about improving the lives of residents of our community, Dominique embodies the mission. Her efforts are deeply personal, her community ties are strong, and her motivation is clear: to make a meaningful difference.  

“The people who know me best know the best way to get me involved is to explain to me how what you’re doing impacts the people and people of all kinds, because that matters to me,” she shared. “I don’t ever want to be associated with something that’s only interested in helping a certain demographic of people, because this world is so much bigger than that.” 

To honor Dominique’s dedication to making an impact in our community, she is being celebrated as a nominee for ECM of the Year at this year’s Waymaker™ Awards. 

“I’ve never actually been recognized outside of my work group for my work,” Dominique admits. “I’ve developed a sweet spot for United Way after doing so many projects with them, so to know this large organization that works with so many people thought about me—it means everything.” 

In a city striving to uplift every resident, leaders like Dominique Blue remind us what true public service looks like: thoughtful, inclusive, strategic, and community-focused. To learn about more ECMs who are making a difference in our community, click here.