Today s leaders learn skills for tomorrow s challenges
Staff reporter
Leadership skills are important in every facet of living, regardless of a person's profession or social status. Developing and honing those skills can be a lifetime process.
Leadership Marion County is a way for all types of leaders from various backgrounds and experiences to learn, grow, and share.
The class curriculum has nine elements:
— Servant leadership is the core of the curriculum with leading to serve others.
— Learning styles is knowing oneself better and working better with others.
— Wisdom cycle is understanding ways to process information for more effective learning.
— Vision is having effective groups working toward the same goals.
— Collaboration of leading a group to work better as a team.
— Consensus of making decisions that benefit the group.
— Facilitation by equipping participants with necessary tools.
— Personal mission will evaluate individual strengths, passion, goals, and values.
Class members, their sponsors, and their communities are: David Baker, Baker Brothers Printing, Hillsboro; Eric Driggers, Greenhaw Pharmacy, Hillsboro; Paula Flaming, City of Goessel, Goessel; Karen Larsen, Marion County Emergency Medical Services, Peabody; Jill Meier, Deer Trail Implement of Marion, Hillsboro; Jason Mohn, Tabor College, Hillsboro; James Philpott, City of Peabody, Peabody; and Tracy Williams, Rogers & Associates, Hillsboro.
Why take the class?
"I was first introduced to the class by my boss, Jim Elliott," said Mohn. "This class will help me to get connected better with the needs of my community and see how I can help."
Driggers said he has lived in Hillsboro most of his life but doesn't know everything about his community and the area.
"I took this class to learn more about the county," he said.
"I wanted to broaden my resources list," said Philpott who is a deputy with Marion County Sheriff's Department. "I know very little about the north end of the county."
Meier said she used to live in Lincolnville and still has family in the area but doesn't know everything about the area.
"I didn't know about the Friendship House until this meeting," she said. She added it's important to become exposed to other things in the county.
Baker is interested in growth.
"I'm interested in how we can help small towns in Marion County grow," he said.
Williams isn't from Hillsboro and wants to know more about her community and county.
"I want to meet more people and learn more about the towns," said Williams.
"My concerns are a decreasing population and school enrollments," said Flaming. "I want to know how to increase the population and attract more industry."
Larsen was not in attendance.
All class members agreed that the first three sessions have been informative and enjoyable.
Changes in this year's curriculum include 10 classes with nine being half-day sessions twice a month instead of full-day sessions once a month. Each class is held in a different location within the county except an all-day trip to Topeka.
"This was in response to employers' needs," said Jim Elliott, president of the leadership board.
The focus of the curriculum has changed due to additional training.
Former board members Steve Garrett of Hillsboro and Joanna Brazil of Peabody took a class offered by Kansas Health Foundation that led the group to revamp its program.
Applications for the next class are accepted through the middle of November with class members chosen in December. Classes begin in January. Cost for the class is $175, and employers typically sponsor their employees as class members.
The class is sponsored by Marion County Economic Development Council which is funded by Marion County.
Classwork culminates in June with graduation of class members. Three members from the 2006 class will be chosen to serve a three-year term on the board of directors.
Current board members are: Elliott, president; Tina Groening, vice president; Elise Brunhoeber, secretary; and board members Sarah Cope, Carolyn Koehn, Darryl Thiesen, Rickey Roberts, Byron Noeth, and Jackie Rice.
For more information, contact a board member, or call (620) 726-5821, or write Leadership Marion County, PO Box 204, Burns KS 66840.
