Tracey DeMarea Named Executive Director of the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Tracey DeMarea comes to the Chamber with a wealth of experience serving non-profit professional organizations.

Tracey joined the Johnson County Bar Association in 2015 as its Executive Director. The Bar Association is a 501(c)(6) organization with over 1200 members, which Tracey lead for 7 years as their only full-time employee. During Tracey’s time with the organization, she increased the number of member benefits, created additional networking and social events, developed a Business Partnership Program which generated additional non-dues revenue, and led the creation of a DEI 5-year Strategic Plan. In 2019, Tracey moved the Bar Offices to Overland Park, creating and launching a Capital Campaign, which raised over $100,000 for the new facilities. In 2018 and 2022 she partnered the Bar with KCPBS and hosted live-streamed Kansas Gubernatorial debates, providing an extremely valuable member-benefit and public service to Kansas voters.

Before joining Johnson County Bar in 2015, Tracey was the Director of Membership and Communications at the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and was responsible for the organization’s events, marketing, and member-retention strategies.

Most recently, Tracey has worked as the Chief Operating Officer for a mid-sized law firm with offices in two cities, Forsgren Fisher. She has spent this year developing and setting up new HR policies and procedures, developing their marketing strategies, and building connections for the firm.

Tracey has received both local and national recognition for her work. In 2022, she was recognized by the Kansas Supreme Court for Outstanding Service, and received the Johnson County Bar Association’s President’s Award. Tracey received the National Association of Bar Executive (NABE) Peer Excellence Award in 2022, and in 2023 she was presented with the Wally E. Richter Award for Distinguished Achievement from the Communications Section of NABE.

Tracey moved to the U.S. from England in 2007. Tracey attended the Open University in England for undergraduate studies in Social Sciences, and graduate level classes at the University in Plymouth, gaining a Certificate in Management Studies.

Tracey is married to Andy, a local attorney, and has two stepchildren: Alex, an Industrial Engineer with Deloitte, and Mia, an accounting student at KU.

Tracey is involved in the local community. She volunteers and cooks for 60 people twice a month for Uplift, a mobile street outreach organization for the homeless in Kansas City. Tracey also is a member of the Central Exchange Board of Directors, a 501(c)(6) which supports and encourages women in all sectors of business.

Tracey became a U.S. Citizen in 2021. She missed many years of voting when she first moved to the U.S and now ensures she is votes in every election, because she knows her vote counts.