More than 200 Kansans from 30 communities across the state will converge in Wichita Sept. 19-21 for the 4th annual Kansas Community Leadership Initiative Summit, a week of inspiration, education and intense civic leadership training. Hosted by the Kansas Leadership Center, participants include the directors/facilitators of community leadership programs and either their current leadership class, the class that most recently finished or the upcoming class. The Kansas Leadership Center is unique in the nation. No other entity has KLC’s statewide reach, robust funding and focus on leadership for the common good. Why such a tremendous investment? Because KLC believes place-based, civic leadership programs will play a critical role in helping Kansas communities make progress on the deep, daunting challenges that most concern them. “We’re tremendously excited for this gathering of Kansans under one roof,” said KLC President and CEO Ed O’Malley. “They’re living, breathing examples of effective civic engagement, by their effective use of the ideas we share at KLC.” “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 community leadership programs include: Every Voice (Garden City), Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, Junction City/Geary County Crossroads of Leadership, Lead Well (Wellington), Leadership 2000 (Kansas City), Leadership 2000 PLUS (Pratt), Leadership Butler, Leadership Chanute, Leadership Dickinson County, Leadership Dodge City, Leadership Emporia, Leadership Golden Belt, Leadership Greater Topeka, Leadership Hays, Leadership Labette, Leadership Lawrence, Leadership Marshall County, Leadership Miami County, Leadership Mitchell County, Leadership Newton, Leadership Reno County, Leadership Salina, Leadership Thomas County, Leadership Wichita, Neighborhood Initiatives, Inc., Rooks County Vision Leadership and Southeast Kansas Regional Leadership Academy. Nearly all KLC Summit events will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 W. Waterman St., Wichita. 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 www.kansasleadershipcenter.org For more information, please contact Shaun Rojas at: [email protected] or at (316) 712-4956 or Jamie Crouse at: [email protected] or at (316) 712-4948.