Richard A. King passed away August 24, 2006 at the age of 62 was Chairman and CEO of King Hershey, a Kansas City law firm specializing in development and commercial law.
A recognized expert in structuring public/private financial transactions, King is the first member of the private sector to be elected to the position of President of the Missouri Economic Development Financing Association, having previously served for four years as vice president and two years as Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Association. He is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers and International Association of Gaming Attorneys.
King represents some of the most prominent developments in the Kansas City metropolitan area, including Quality Hill and the 18th and Vine Jazz District in Kansas City; Hartman Heritage Park in Independence; and Chapel Ridge Business Park in Lee's Summit. He also represents a number of Missouri municipalities in regard to economic development matters. He was lead counsel for projects issuing Missouri's first neighborhood improvement district bonds in 1993, Missouri's first transportation development district bonds in 1999 and Missouri's first community improvement district bonds in 2001.
King's experience in government includes service from 1982 to 1985 as Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue and from 1981 through 1982 as Executive Assistant to the Governor of Missouri.
From 1974 to 1978 King was Mayor of the City of Independence. King served as a founding member of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees in Washington, D.C., and as commissioner on the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.
His past civic involvement includes a term as President of the Independence, Missouri, Chamber of Commerce and service as a board member and State Government Chairman of the Jefferson City, Missouri, United Way. In 1989, King was Chairman of the Committee to Save the Charter, leading a successful effort to retain the council/manager form of government in Kansas City.
King is an honor graduate of the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Law where he served as Student Writing Editor of the Missouri Law Review and was a member of the Law School Honorary Order of the Coif. He was a Captain in the United States Army from 1969 through 1972 serving as a Military Police Station Commander in West Germany.
King holds the 'Others' award for public service from the Missouri/Kansas Salvation Army. He was selected Outstanding Young Man by the Missouri Jaycees in 1975 and awarded the Missouri Institute for Public Administration 'Man of the Year' award in 1983. | 
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