Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Port of Kansas City, a History
Original Presentation “Port of Kansas City, a History”
By Branden Leay Criman, Deputy Director of the Port Authority of Kansas City
October 10, 2012
Kansas City was founded on the banks of the Missouri River; fighting the current, the settlers finally heaved boats on land to unload their families, personal effects and the cargo of supplies necessary to build a new community. Symbolically, the presence of waterborne commerce in the Kansas City area is vital! The presenter shared elements of the City’s history based on the barging industry, and what the Port Authority of Kansas City is doing to revitalize commercial river traffic in Kansas City.
Meet Your Presenter
Branden Leay Criman
, Deputy Director of the Port Authority of Kansas City
Branden Leay Criman graduated from the University of Missouri – Kansas City with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Design and additional coursework in Civil Engineering and Construction Management. Since 2008, she has used her experience in urban design, civil engineering, and civic, commercial and residential developments to represent Port Authority ventures through project and operations management. She is leading the Port Authority’s initiative to reopen the Port of Kansas City in her role as Deputy Port Director.
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
Resources and Links
The Big Muddy Speakers Series in Kansas City
is hosted by these wonderful partners!
- Little Blue River Watershed Coalition
- Friends of Lakeside Nature Center
- Missouri River Relief
- Healthy Rivers Partnership
- Friends of Big Muddy
- Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
- Kansas City Digital Video
Thanks to all of our venue hosts for making this possible! Click here for a list of upcoming presentations» The Big Muddy Speaker Series is also held monthly in Rocheport and St. Charles.
Recordings of Presentations
Kansas City Digital Video has been recording Big Muddy Speaker Series presentations. These are available on their website at this link. Some contain synchronized powerpoint presentations. We will be posting these to the archived presentation pages on bigmuddyspeakers.org. Thanks Micheal Morgan and crew for putting this important archive online! The Big Muddy Speaker Series is partially funded by the Columbia Ecological Services Field Office (USFWS) and the Mo. Dept. of Conservation.
Upcoming Presentations
Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy
November 10, 2026Columbia, MO
Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
See Event
Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality
November 11, 2026St Charles, MO
Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.
See Event