Sherae Honeycutt

Sherae Honeycutt is an Emmy-winning journalist, communications executive, and passionate advocate for foster youth. With nearly a decade of experience in journalism, she reported across Kansas City, Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Sherae made her mark as a reporter with FOX4 News in Kansas City and KFVS in Cape Girardeau, where her work earned national recognition and was featured by The New York Times, Newsweek, and CBS Network News.

Following her journalism career, Sherae transitioned into public service communications, serving as Press Secretary and City Spokeswoman for the City of Kansas City. In one of the region’s most visible communications roles, she led media relations and public information efforts for a city of more than 500,000 residents, helping communicate major policy initiatives, public safety issues, infrastructure projects, and citywide priorities. She worked alongside executive leadership, department directors, and elected officials to strengthen transparency, improve public engagement, and navigate high-profile issues affecting the community.

Today, Sherae serves as the Public Information Officer and Communications Director for the City of Independence, Missouri, where she leads the city’s strategic communications, media relations, public engagement, and storytelling efforts. In this role, she works closely with city leadership to strengthen transparency, build public trust, and connect residents with the information they need to understand and engage with their local government.

Beyond her professional work, Sherae remains deeply committed to improving the lives of children in foster care. She serves as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Jackson County CASA and previously volunteered with Voices for Children in Cape Girardeau. While at FOX4, she created and hosted Thursday’s Child, a program dedicated to finding permanent homes for children in foster care and challenging misconceptions about the child welfare system. In 2020, the program earned a Mid-America Emmy Award for Community Service.

Sherae’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and purpose. After attending six high schools and ultimately running away from foster care as a teenager, she pursued higher education and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts from San Francisco State University and a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and was inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, the national honor society for journalism and mass communication. Her graduate research focused on children’s data privacy and the long-term implications of publicly available information generated through AMBER Alerts.

As a former foster youth, Sherae dedicates her life to creating opportunities for others and advocating for children who need a voice. She believes in the power of perseverance, the value of thoughtful communication, and the importance of authenticity. Whether through journalism, public service, or advocacy, her mission remains the same: to inspire hope, foster understanding, and encourage others to become champions for those who need them most.