More than 300 Kansans from nearly 40 communities across the state will converge Nov. 13-15 in Wichita for the third-annual Kansas Community Leadership Initiative Summit.
The experience, convened by the Kansas Leadership Center, offers three days of inspiration, education and intense civic leadership training. It is specifically designed for participants and alumni of the state’s community leadership programs.
The Summit represents KLC’s effort to support the ongoing efforts of community leadership programs in Kansas, which play a vital role in increasing civic engagement and enhancing leadership capacity in their communities. In recognition of their importance, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has declared Nov. 13-19, “Kansas Community Leadership Program Week.”
KLC President and CEO Ed O’Malley said community leadership programs will lead the way in helping our state make progress on the issues that concern us most.
“We see community leadership programs as a great partner in the effort to foster civic leadership in Kansas”, O’Malley said. “They’re so important to helping foster civic leadership around the state and that’s why this effort is the largest effort KLC undertakes annually.”
Through programs such as the Summit, KLC seeks to encourage citizens to care more, engage more and risk more on behalf of their communities.
“We believe we need a new kind of leadership, capable of reaching across factions and making progress on daunting issues,” O’Malley said. “We see that new brand of leadership emerging in community leadership programs.”
The participating programs include: Allen County Together Leadership, Connect Hodgeman, Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, Fredonia, Junction City/Geary County Crossroads of Leadership, Kiowa County, Leadership Butler, Leadership Cowley County, Leadership Crawford, Leadership Dickinson County, Leadership Dodge City, Leadership Emporia, Leadership Franklin County, Leadership Garden City, Leadership Golden Belt (Stafford, Rush, Pawnee and Barton counties), Leadership Hays, Leadership Independence, Leadership Kansas, Leadership Lawrence, Leadership Lenexa, Leadership Liberal, Leadership Marion County, Leadership McPherson, Leadership Miami County, Leadership Mitchell County, Leadership Newton, Leadership Olathe, Leadership Pratt, Leadership Reno County, Leadership Rossville, Leadership Salina, Leadership Thomas County, Leadership Topeka, Leadership Wichita, Leadership 2000 (Wyandotte County), Neodesha, Rooks County Vision Leadership and the Wichita Community Leadership Development Program.
The Kansas Leadership Center is unique in the nation. No other entity has KLC’s state-wide reach, robust funding and focus on leadership for the common good.
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The Kansas Leadership Center opened in 2007 with a multi-year, renewable grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, and is charged with fostering civic leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous communities. To learn more, visit kansasleadershipcenter.org.
For media inquiries, contact Director of Communications Mark E. McCormick at (316) 712-4945 or by email at: mmccormick@kansasleadershipcenter.org
