Carl was born October 28, 1941 and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri.  He and his brothers were savaged by polio in the early 1950s and this resulted in Carl’s life-long commitment to the eradication of the disease.

He excelled at Southwest High School in academics, choir, and was elected Student Council President his senior year.  He also developed his interest and commitment to enter the legal profession there.

Carl attended Southwest High School and Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. He attended law school at UMKC where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 1967 and was admitted to the bar later that year.  Carl has enjoyed a very distinguished legal career as evidenced by the success of his law firm in Lee’s Summit and his professional honors.  He is included in the Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, Best’s Recommended Insurance Attorneys, and Who’s Who in American Law.

After serving as Vice President at Kansas City Life from 1967 to 1976 Carl opened his private law practice, now known as Chinnery, Evans and Nail, in Lee’s Summit.  His practice has prospered and grown with the Lee’s Summit community.

From the time he opened his legal practice Carl became involved in a wide variety of community events and organizations.  He has helped more than 300 non-profits with legal assistance at no charge.  He is the past president of the following Lee’s Summit groups:  Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council, R-7 School District Board, and the Red Cross chapter.  He has also chaired the Jackson County Coalition of Chambers, the Missouri Yacht Club, Summit Bank of Kansas City, Powell Gardens, and the Vestry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.  He received the Bishop’s Shield for Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri.  He has been Chairman of the Planned Giving Committees of the Eastland Foundation, Truman Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation and Children’s Mercy Hospital.  He has been awarded the Metropolitan Community College’s President’s Citation, Commerce Bank Community Service Award, and is installed in the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.  Recently, he was honored with the Lee’s Summit Cares Lifetime Achievement Award and as the Lee’s Summit and Lake Lotawana Citizen of the Year. The Nature Trail at Unity World Headquarters bears his name.

In addition to this amazing record of service, perhaps Carl’s greatest passion has been for Rotary and its worldwide focus on eradicating polio.  Perhaps his greatest service to Rotary has been in the area of polio eradication.  He has served on the International Polio Plus Partners Task Force and as Chair of the Polio Plus Task Force for District 6040. 

Carl’s incredible record of service has been enhanced by his unique sense of humor, friendliness, and willingness to take on new challenges and lend a helping hand.  He truly lives the Rotary motto of “Service above self, one profits most who serves best.”