Leadership Greater Topeka

Leadership Greater Topeka brings together a broad cross section of both acknowledged and aspiring leaders from every corner of the community for an annual community leadership training course.

For the Greater Topeka area to grow and prosper, we need leaders from all backgrounds and vocations, who will wrestle with the challenges facing our community. The goals are to challenge and motivate traditional and non-traditional leaders by teaching 21st century leadership capacities through information, dialogue, and hands-on experience so they are better prepared to strengthen and transform our community.

In place since 1984, Leadership Greater Topeka has over 660 alumni with nearly 70% still living and active in the Topeka area. Leadership Greater Topeka alumni are challenged to apply their talents throughout the community in volunteer, appointed, and elected positions.

Nominations and applications for the program are accepted each fall with the new class announced prior to year end. The course is offered beginning in early February and runs until mid-May with a two-day retreat and seven daylong sessions, primarily on Fridays.

The sessions cover key community concerns in the areas of quality of life, government, crime, business and economic development, community services, education, health care, and the media. Woven throughout the program are concepts of:

• 21st Century Leadership Skills: learning styles, change, collaboration, consensus, facilitation, visioning, and steps to a learning community.
• Community Trusteeship: working for the common good of the whole community.
• Servant Leadership: the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead... to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are served.

Leadership Greater Topeka Program Nominations Welcome NOW!

Any individual may nominate themselves for the program, or another individual who might benefit from the program. Nominations for the 2009 Leadership Greater Topeka class are now open and will be accepted anytime. You can nominate yourself or another by emailing Marsha Sheahan or calling her at the Chamber, 234-2644.

Be sure to give your name and mailing address and the name and mailing address of the person you are nominating. If you are nominating yourself, please just give your name and mailing address. We'll make sure you get at application to complete in September.

Letters requesting nominations for the 2009 class will be mailed in early September 2008 to Chamber members, community civic groups and churches, elected officials throughout Shawnee County, and LGT alumni.

For additional information call Marsha Sheahan at 785-234-2644.

2008 Leadership Greater Topeka Class

Thirty-six individuals from Topeka and Shawnee County will participate in the 2008 Leadership Greater Topeka program.

2008 Leadership Greater Topeka Class:
Erin Atwood, student, Washburn Rural High School;
Mike Bell, general manager, Holiday Inn Topeka;
Janelle Brazington, operations specialist, Kansas Action for Children;
Juanita Breeding, hospitalist program business coordinator, Stormont-Vail HealthCare;
Roger Brokke, general sales manager, WIBW-TV;
Greg Carr, vice president/commercial lender, Capital City Bank;
Dave Clauson, marketing communications manager, Security Benefit;
Pam Coller, retired AT&T;
Shaye Downing, associate attorney, Sloan, Eisenbarth, Glassman, McEntire & Jarboe, LLC;
DeAnn Escalante, director, lifestyle and wellness, Brewster Place;
Sandy Fields, senior pastor, New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church;
Blake Flanders, director of workforce training and education services, Kansas Board of Regents/Kansas Dept. of Commerce;
Linessa Frazier, manager, learning and development; Payless ShoeSource Corporate Office;
Kevin Grieves, senior manager, BNSF Railway;
Olga Hennessey, director of day services and senior services, TARC, Inc.;
Becky Holmquist, treasury management partner, U.S. Bank;
Daniel Jaramillo, detective, Shawnee County Sheriff's Office;
Eric Johnson, director of operations, Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority;
Elizabeth Johnson, director of marketing, Horst, Terrill & Karst Architects, P.A.;
Lisa Kaspar, public service executive II, Kansas Department of Revenue;
John Ladson, Topeka land development division manager/vice president, Bartlett & West;
Willie Lambert, owner, Great Plains Running Company;
Mary Lenz, marketing communications manager, Capitol Federal Savings Bank;
Ron Miller, chief of police, Topeka Police Department;
Kathy Mosher, community based services team leader,  Family Service and Guidance Center;
Scott Raymond, corporate counsel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas;
Kim Ribelin, program coordinator, Kansas Secretary of State’s Office;
Luce Rubio, manager, corporate communications, Hill's Pet Nutrition;
Kae Seymour, student, Washburn University;
Chad Taylor, attorney, Law Offices of Chadwick J. Taylor, LLC;
Mark Thiel, transportation operations, division manager, public works department, City of Topeka;
Leilani Todd, director, finance and human resources,  Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.;
Val VanderSluis, Programming Director, KTWU, Washburn University;
Anne Weigel, assistant vice president, Community National Bank;
Tommy Welton, student, Hayden High School;
Cindy Wilson, manager, internal audit, Westar Energy.