The newest member of the Parris team, Tavarus brings experience working with community-based external communications initiatives and conducting issues-related communications research.

He graduated from William Jewell College where he received a degree in English and Communications. During his time there, he was a member of the Jewell Debate team and served two years in leadership roles for the Black Student Alliance and Student Senate. Tavarus was also named Outstanding English Senior and a recipient of the 2022 Clay County African American Legacy Community Service Award.

Serving a broad role at Parris, Tavarus supports client needs regarding media relationships and analytics. During college, Tavarus interned with American Public Square and KC Common Good conducting community research around issues of civic discourse and vulnerable communities. This work culminated in the 2020 American Public Square Student Program featuring prominent community voices on the impact of climate change.

An adopted Kansas City native moving here from Raleigh, North Carolina in 2010, Tavarus loves traveling and visiting new restaurants. A bartender himself, when Tavarus isn’t at Parris you may catch him serving drinks or recording the latest Penny Bloom Podcast, a show he helped start in 2019 covering popular television and film.