Silver Sage Board of Directors and Committees

President of The Board: Jacque Swartout. 

Jacque enjoyed her childhood with the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Fair, where she felt surrounded by her fair family.

"I drew my inspiration for the festival while working the covid unit as a registered nurse. I wanted to bring some positivity back when the pandemic ended. And Renaissance means enlightenment, a chance to emerge and grow.  This was really exciting time in history, and it occurred after the Dark Ages. I rather felt that as a society we kind of stepped into that. And after we had been locked inside, and for those of us who were essential and endured.  (So many people lost loved ones.)  I knew that when this modern Dark Age ended - we were going to need something to uplift and unite us again.  I'm the mother of five girls. Three I borrowed from my husband's first wife, and I claim them as mine. And they became my reason to build this festival.  Two of my daughters work the festival with me and I'm about ready to bring two more. We've turned this into a family event in its most literal definition.  My kids, husband, nephew and his wife and kids, my step kids...they are all involved."

Jacque started out wanting to volunteer to be the beer wench and quickly found herself assuming the role as President of our Silver Sage Renaissance Festival.  Jacque looks forward to sharing the creativity and the ingenuity while bringing a touch of the whimsy that we all know and love.  Currently Jacque lives in Joplin Missouri with her family.

Vice President: Jennifer Baker

Jennifer too grew up in Southern California and attended the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.  Jennifer and Jacque did not know each other during these years and met later at a local grocery store during their college years.  Many years later Jennifer was convinced to move from Southern California to Scott City Ks by Jacque and there she completed her RN.  Now some 25 years later, and countless hours of volunteering for the Silver Sage Renaissance Festival over the past 4 years, Jennifer has finally accepted the role of Vice President.  A roll that Jacque the President has asked her to assume every year.   

She is the perfect person for the role because she knows the direction the festival is moving and her experience as an ER / Med Surg nurse allows her to be both adaptable but also firm. 

When Jennifer isn't working, she is caring for her special needs daughter and maintaining her household as a single mom.  She knows better than most that dedication, hard work, and perseverance are required to build the festival.  And anything is possible if you just don't give yourself an excuse to quit. 

Secretary and Director of Media & Vendor Relations: Christina Trammell 

Hailing from Wichita, Christina is also originally from California where she grew up attending smaller Northern California faies in Folsom and the bay area. After moving to Kansas in 2014, she started vending at Great Plains Renaissance Festival where her booth is now a recognized landmark there twice a year. Nowadays, when she is not vending at her home faire or working on all things Silver Sage, you can find her and her husband on the road traveling to Renaissance Faires throughout the Midwest.

Christina brings a wealth of expertise to her role as Media and Vendor Relations Director, drawing from her extensive background as a veteran Rennie and small business owner deeply entrenched in the Renaissance Festival community for over a decade. Her journey includes years dedicated to perfecting event coordination, ensuring each festival is not just an event, but a seamless and magical experience for vendors and patrons alike.

Beyond her event coordination skills, Christina's background in Marketing, social media management, and graphic design adds a dynamic layer to her role. Her artistic endeavors and unique perspective make her an invaluable mentor for newer vendors looking to navigate the vibrant marketplace. Christina's passion for booth design extends to offering practical advice on garb, effective marketing strategies, and enhancing booth presentations, making her an indispensable resource for vendors seeking to elevate their festival presence.

With a commitment to nurturing vendor success and a genuine enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge, Christina is always eager to assist, ensuring every vendor can thrive and contribute to the festival's vibrant atmosphere.

Education Coordinator:  Richard Lee Humphrey

(all my friends call me Lee) and I am a 65 (66 this year) year old artist and performer, originally from Overland Park KS. I moved here in 1990 when I found my current wife, Diane, in a tree at the KC Renfest (my first year) and I followed her back to Joplin and have been here ever since.  My artistry has covered many mediums, and it wasn't until about 8 years ago when I laser focused my talents on Wand Making. I now do events as Richard Leonidas, The Wand Maker for Wizards Ware Wands in Topeka KS and Omaha Ne as well as my most recent acquisition, Planet ComiCon, KC. I feel that this has finally made me a successful artist wherein I have, to date, created over 2000 wands and I am just getting started. I also teach a Wand Handling class at events.

My first year doing Renaissance Festivals started in 1990 at the KC Renfest as a wandering street performer. I played a couple of characters but the Pirate, Capt'n Doom is the one that stuck. In 2021, with COPD and Asthma (mostly from the tornado in 2011), I decided if I wanted to continue performing, I would need a stationary place. So, after discussing it with the Entertainment Director, I created the Pirate Court, built myself a Pirate throne and table. It was a total hit and I won Best New Stage Act for that year, and it has been growing ever since, taking on a life of its own.

Volunteer Coordinator: Rhonnie Wilson

My name is Rhonnie Wilson I am the volunteer coordinator and native to the area. I love my Grandkids and my Chiefs. I am a reluctant artist that loves to watch paint dry and currently have work on display at the Keystone Gallery - Joplin, MO. What does it mean to be a volunteer coordinator? Well, to me it means that I have to find the right people for the different aspects of the fair. To utilize and develop talents and to make each and everyone feel happy and appreciated. It means if there is trash on the ground, we pick it up. If there is someone who needs assistance, we assist it means if we are having fun the fair is having fun. There are no small jobs, and nothing is beneath any of us to do. Open hearts and open minds open the door of opportunity. Thank you for giving me the pleasure of working with each and every one of you. I can’t wait to meet you!