People of faith tend to get more involved in their communities than others, said Ed O’Malley, president of the Kansas Leadership Center. On that premise, the KLC is launching Leadership and Faith, Southeast Kansas, a program designed to boost the area’s economy and health.
The project is a three-year, multi-faith civic leadership development commitment aimed to knit together people of faith within Eureka, Iola, Chanute, Independence and Pittsburg.
“We know from our experience over the last five years that people of faith are particularly called to engage their communities to make (them) stronger, healthier, more prosperous,” he said. “We’ve done a number of programs focused on faith communities since the leadership center began five years ago and have noticed this idea that people of faith are more involved.”
Using funds from a $1.9 million grant awarded by the Kansas Health Foundation, the leadership center hopes to equip people wanting to get involved in their communities with the skills needed to be an effective civic leader, said Sue Dondlinger, program director for KLC.
“We firmly believe civic leadership can move communities from their present circumstances toward their aspirations,” she said. “It’s really all about what the people in the various towns want us to provide and be around for. Our commitment is long-term on this.”
KLC representatives will brainstorm with community members in each city on March 28 about how to move forward with the initiative.
“Part of it rests in the belief that to solve some of these wicked challenges — dramatically improving economic conditions or improving health outcomes — can’t be solved from the top down. They have to be solved from the bottom up,” O’Malley said. “We don’t come in with a suggestion for them on what they should focus on. The program is designed to help them identify what … they really need.”
The groups will have three objectives: Call people of faith to be key leverage points for change, challenge participants to use Kansas Leadership Center competencies as an exercise of their faith and provide a transformative civic leadership experience.
Dodlinger said KLC, which will have two additional brainstorming sessions — April 24 and May 9 — in each of the five cities, has its sights on getting at least 60 people involved in each community the first year and reaching as many people in each of the two years to follow.
“We’re eager to lend our support and resources to the people in Southeast Kansas,” she said.
O’Malley credited other innovative efforts in the area to improve conditions as inspiration for the leadership and faith initiative.
“We’re following the work of (Project 17) and we’re trying to stay on the same page as that group and this kind of connects with that effort,” he said. “The momentum that that is creating is what got us thinking about focusing this initiative on a region and particularly the region of southeast Kansas.”
O’Malley said they don’t think of the initiative as a part of Project 17 but rather an effort that follows the lead of Project 17 and “works in concert with the ideas they’re trying to promote.”
KLC is asking participants for a one-time $25 commitment fee. Those interested should visit http://kansasleadershipcenter.org or contact Dodlinger at 316-712-4959 or by email at [email protected]. Registration for the March 28 meeting at the Creitz Recital Hall in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center ends March 14.
Faith and leadership good fit for bringing positive change
