Irv Hockaday retired as president and chief executive officer of Hallmark Cards in 2001. Prior to joining Hallmark, he served as president and CEO of Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. Today, he is on the Board of Directors of a number of diverse organizations. In addition to the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, his current board appointments include Crown Media Holdings, Inc.; The Estee Lauder Companies; and Ford Motor Company. He was formerly on the boards of Aquila, Inc.; Dow Jones & Company, Inc.; and Sprint Nextel Corporation.

He also holds numerous civic positions: Trustee Emeritus of the Aspen Institute, member of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City; and Trustee of the Hall Family Foundation. Formerly, Mr. Hockaday served as Chairman of the Board of the Tenth District Federal Reserve Bank and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

Mr. Hockaday has been a longtime participant in the governance of Midwest Research Institute. He was elected a Trustee of Midwest Research Institute in 1968, a Director in 1970, Chairman in 1978, and was named a MRI Life Trustee in 2004.

A graduate of Princeton University in 1958 with an AB in English and the University of Michigan Law School in 1961 with a JD, Irv Hockaday practiced law in Kansas City with the firm of Lathrop, Koontz, Righter, Clagett & Norquist.