Councilmember Bridget McCandless

At-Large Councilmember, Dr. Bridget McCandless, was elected to her first term on the Independence City Council in November 2022 to fulfill the unexpired term of Councilmember Karen DeLuccie.

She attended University of Missouri-Columbia for her undergraduate degree in Biology followed by her Medical Degree. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at University of Virginia and later an MBA in Healthcare Leadership from Rockhurst University. After private practice, she founded and ran the Shared Care Free Clinic in northern Independence where she served uninsured adults for 15 years. In 2013, she became the President/CEO of the Health Forward Foundation, a large regional grant making and policy organization. She has served on many local, regional and state boards, and collaboratives. She and her husband, Dennis, are long-term residents of Independence and have three grown children.