THE
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THE COMMON GOOD
VOLUME 5 - ISSUE 4 - WINTER 2014
$10.00
A C ALL MAD E B Y K ANS ANS 75 YEA RS AGO .
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The Journal (Print edition: ISSN 2328-4366; Online edition: ISSN 2328-4374) is published quarterly by the Kansas Leadership Center, which receives core funding from the Kansas Health Foundation. The Kansas Leadership Center equips people with the ability to make lasting change for the common good. KLC is different in the field of leadership development with its focus on leadership being an activity, not a role or position. Open to anyone seeking to move the needle on tough challenges in the civic arena, KLC envisions more Kansans sharing responsibility for acting together in pursuit of the common good. KLC MISSION To foster civic leadership for healthier Kansas communities KLC VISION To be the center of excellence for civic leadership development KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Lindstrom, Overland Park (Chair) Ed O’Malley, Wichita (President & CEO)
Karen Humphreys, Wichita Susan Kang, Lawrence Carolyn Kennett, Parsons Greg Musil, Overland Park Reggie Robinson, Topeka Consuelo Sandoval, Garden City Clayton Tatro, Fort Scott Frank York, Ashland WEB EDITION
http://issuu.com/kansasleadershipcenter SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Annual subscriptions available on Amazon.com ($34.95 for four issues). PERMISSIONS
Abstracting is permitted with credit to the source. For other reprint, copying, reproduction permission or subscriptions, contact Mike Matson at mmatson@kansasleadershipcenter.org. KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER
325 East Douglas Avenue Wichita, KS 67202 316.712.4950 www.kansasleadershipcenter.org PHOTOGRAPHY
Jeff Tuttle Photography 316.706.8529 jefftuttlephotography.com ARTWORK
Brian Hinkle brianhinkleart.com MANAGING EDITOR
Chris Green 316.712.4945 cgreen@kansasleadershipcenter.org GRAPHIC DESIGN
Novella Brandhouse 816.868.9825 www.novellabrandhouse.com ©2014 Kansas Leadership Center
"Look upon yourself only, and you become myopic, short of vision. Engage in the quest of humanity, and you behold divinity." – Rabbi Harry R. Richmond (pictured on cover) from his book of sermons, "God on Trial."
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contents
Welcome to the Journal By President & CEO Ed O’Malley . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Leadership Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Dispatches from the Kansas Leadership Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Voices of Civic Leadership By Mark McCormick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Speaking up on Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Making a Mark By Dawn Bormann Novascone . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Acts of Courage by Seth Bate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Maximum Impact By Anne Dewvall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Building Blocks By Brian Whepley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Priming the Pump By Lindsay Wilke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Featured Artist: Winter Morning By Brian Hinkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Poem: Flint Hills Lullaby By Denise Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 The Back Page By Mike Matson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Reaching the veRdict JURY-ROOM LESSONS ON DECISION MAKING, LEADERSHIP AND CIVIC DUTY
from the heart, manage emotions, challenge the norms, hold to purpose and so on. But all of that is weak if someone struggles to decide yes or no, now or later, guilty or not guilty.
I didn’t sleep well last night. The weight of the decision is heavy. I assume another man – the accused – didn’t sleep well either. For that matter, nor his family and friends, nor the other 11 members of the jury.
It’s a complicated case. I’ve found myself longing for a simple case of bad guy hurts good guy. This is a case full of bad guys hurting each other. It’s not cut and dry.
I dreamt about the case each of the last several nights. A murder trial has a way of sticking with you even outside of the courtroom.
Isn’t life, and therefore leadership, like that too? Everything is a shade of grey. Truth is a fantasy. Leadership must be something about navigating the many truths out there and finding a way to help people move forward. The jury heard lots of versions of the truth. I believe that someone who honestly believes it to be the truth told each version. It’s up to us to sit in judgment.
It was nine days ago when I cheerfully walked into the courthouse to serve my civic duty. I would have thought you a fool if you told me the next nine days would be days seared into my memory. People talk about jury service in terms of civic duty and responsibility. From now on I’ll talk about it as tough decision making too.
We have to decide guilty or not guilty. We are not advisors. We are not consultants. We have to make the decision – each one of us personally and then the group collectively.
Making decisions may be an undervalued art in this interesting and quaint world of leadership development in which I live. We help people diagnose a situation, engage others, speak
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But my sense is they are struggling with the same thing that haunts so many people in so many situations that require leadership – coming to grips with the reality of their decisions and the consequences for all involved.
The moment before I shared my opinion with my fellow jurors felt familiar. It was as if I were back in the Kansas House of Representatives, about to vote on a controversial matter, looking at the red and green buttons on my desk. Red meant no. Green meant yes. Green or red. Yes or no. There comes a time in most situations where, if you intend to lead, you must make decisions. You might not have all the facts. You rarely will be fully comfortable. You usually can’t be certain that you’re 100 percent right and zero percent wrong. Decisions on tough matters are usually more like 70-30 or 60-40.
Ed O’Malley President & CEO Kansas Leadership Center
Editor’s note: Ed O’Malley recently served on the jury for a murder trial in Sedgwick County. He wrote this column just hours before he and his fellow jurors reached a verdict in the case.
My observation is a few of our jurors are struggling under the pressure of it all. They are frozen. Unable to agree with the vast majority, but also unable to present a clear line of logic to suggest the majority change its mind. This is heavy work and they are entitled to take as much time as they need.
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The Journal gladly welcomes letters to the editor, including responses to articles in the publication. Please address comments to mmatson@kansasleadershipcenter.org.
letteRs
Or mail letters to the Kansas Leadership Center at 325 East Douglas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67202. We encourage readers to keep submissions to fewer than 500 words.
and the effects of climate change affect us all and our citizens often believe solutions generated locally cannot be as good as solutions generated elsewhere.
ATLANTIC CANADA HAS MUCH IN COMMON WITH KANSAS. I had the great fortune to attend the Global Gathering hosted by the Kansas Leadership Center in November 2012 and see firsthand the type of “large-scale leadership capacity” that the Kansas Leadership Center is developing. As a result, I vowed to bring KLC President & CEO Ed O’Malley to Atlantic Canada so we could learn about the accomplishments of KLC and see how we can replicate its efforts. I should clarify that Atlantic Canada is made up of four of Canada's most easterly provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador.
In terms of what we can learn from each other, Kansas is years ahead of us in developing “largescale leadership capacity,” which is why we brought Ed to Atlantic Canada. In terms of the environment, we are years ahead of anyone else in North America, particularly in Nova Scotia. We have visitors from around the world who want to see how we have diverted more than half our waste from landfills and are putting that waste to productive use. The result of Ed's visit was that his questions got us thinking, and this is a major step in our journey in building “large-scale leadership capacity” in Atlantic Canada.
While here this past summer, Ed gave a presentation in the morning at Dalhousie University to the Faculty of Management and invited guests. The afternoon session was to a sold-out audience from the private, public, volunteer and not-for-profit sectors. In preparing for Ed's visit, I was surprised to learn how similar the challenges facing Kansas and Atlantic Canada are and the great opportunities we have to learn from each other.
In conclusion, there is one more similarity between Kansas and Atlantic Canada I would like to point out. What you call "Kansas nice," we call "down east hospitality." Although the beef might be better in Kansas, I assure you that the seafood is better in Atlantic Canada. So on behalf of Atlantic Canadians, I would like to invite you to taste the best seafood on the planet and enjoy our down east hospitality.
Kansas and Atlantic Canada have areas of declining populations with a large out-migration of our youth, especially in our rural areas and we both have aging populations. Health care is taking up an increasing amount of our budgets, and there needs to be more emphasis on prevention. Our economies need to be more robust and innovative, the environment
DR. BRAD MCRAE Director of the Atlantic Leadership Development Institute Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY One key leadership skill is the ability to be more conscious of one’s assumptions and to test their accuracy. The following books bring to life and challenge commonly held beliefs about leadership and success and can help us rethink the way we look at the world.
The Little Way of Ruthie Leming
By Rod Dreher It’s often tempting to think that leadership means making a giant splash in the larger world as an individual. But it can also mean doing hundreds of little, often unseen things within the context of a community. It’s what successful East Coast journalist Rod Dreher learned as he was drawn back to his small Louisiana hometown in the wake of his sister Ruthie’s virulent cancer at age 40. As he watches her illness progress, Dreher is struck both by the way Ruthie, a dedicated teacher who helped many, handles it and how the town rallies around her. The story provides a reminder of the power of community and the impact we, like Ruthie, can have within communities to influence others for the better. As Dreher says in an Amazon.com interview, “The lesson is not that everybody should move to a small town, or should return to their hometown. It’s that you need your community more than you think.” And that putting down roots is sometimes not a limitation but an opportunity to truly grow and prosper.
Leadership Can Be Taught: A Bold Approach for a Complex World
By Sharon Daloz Parks Even though it increasingly makes less and less sense in today’s increasingly chaotic, unpredictable world, the myth that leaders are born not made continues to endure. Parks explores the Case-in-Point methodology being utilized by Ronald Heifetz and his colleagues at Harvard University to foster leadership learning by making real-life interactions the subject of classroom learning. Parks portrays how this sort of teaching looks in real-time, providing a rare glimpse into what a dynamic classroom experience looks like when it comes to learning leadership. She also delves into whether others can replicate these dynamic teaching approaches elsewhere. This book can help readers better understand the history of the Case-in-Point methodology that KLC uses to help provoke deep learning in its own programs. The author also points the way toward a “more adequate myth” of leadership, one that sees leading as artistry that works to create new realities with others.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
By Roger Fisher, William L. Ury and Bruce Patton The process of resolving differences with others doesn’t have to end in anger or capitulation. But it requires being able to manage yourself enough to keep relationships separate from the problem. It requires the ability to recognize the other side's interests and try to meet that person where they are. This classic book, first published in 1981, remains highly relevant today because of the principled negotiation approach it describes. The bargaining table of civic life is a messy and complicated place, but being able to hold true to creating a trustworthy process can provide an anchor for weathering the storm.
Have a book, film or other resource you’d like to see included in The Leadership Library? Please email your suggestions to Chris Green at: cgreen@kansasleadershipcenter.org. 7.
disPatches FROM THE KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER
through its Onward Kansas initiative. The other, Wayne Bell of Wichita, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, has begun working with stakeholders on increasing business ownership among minorities in Kansas.
LEARNING TO COACH OTHERS.
The ability to help others achieve their goals and make progress on what they care about is an important skill in communities, classrooms and organizations today. A two-day “Train the Teacher” workshop Feb. 27-28 at the Kansas Leadership Center will provide participants from a variety of professions and backgrounds with the foundation and essential skills for coaching.
BETTER BUSINESSES.
Businesses seeking to be innovative, profitable and satisfy customers in today’s brutally competitive climate increasingly must foster an organizational culture where highly engaged, energized employees can lead, anytime, anywhere.
The instructors for the workshop will be two expert KLC coaches, Tim Link of Wichita and Marilyn O’Hearne of Leawood, who have both achieved the Master Certified Coach credential from the International Coach Federation. The workshop is designed to provide participants with coaching skills that can be of immediate use. For more information, please visit: http://kansasleadershipcenter.org/programs/programs-for-individuals/train-the-teacher.
KLC’s newly launched “For the Common Good of Your Business” initiative provides leadership development designed to help firms address deep-seated issues and position themselves for long-term growth rather than simply apply short-term fixes. Learn more by contacting Matt Jordan, mjordan@kansasleadershipcenter.org, or Blessy Abraham, babraham@kansasleadershipcenter.org.
PARTNERSHIP PROGRESS.
Dozens of Kansans hoping to exercise leadership in combating childhood poverty are training with KLC. HELPING CONGREGATIONS PROSPER.
A special three-tiered program for about 70 Kansans kicked off in December and resumed in January. A final session is slated for April 21-22. Nearly two of every 10 children in Kansas live in poverty and the program is designed to enhance the ability of Kansans to address the challenge.
Members of East Heights United Methodist Church have worked with KLC over the past several months to redefine their vision and mission in east Wichita. It’s an effort that other churches across the state may be able to replicate at their congregations in the near future.
The trainings spring from KLC’s partnership with Kansas Action for Children, a Topeka-based child advocacy group, and its President and CEO Shannon Cotsoradis, one of two allies KLC is working with
Nearly 100 members of the congregation were part of a special launch last fall called the “Genesis Event,” where they were able to establish the gap between their current and aspired reality. Members
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of the congregation returned a few months later for a one-day session called “Crossroads,” where they received a more robust exposure to KLC’s principles and competencies.
tough community issues is now available for sale through an online retailer. “For the Common Good: Redefining Civic Leadership” by David D. Chrislip and Ed O’Malley was published last fall and makes the case for a different kind of leadership to address today’s toughest challenges.
Working with KLC staff, faculty and coaches, church members have also formed work teams around “Vision,” “Belonging” and “Reconnection to God and the Church.” What’s happening at East Heights is expected to be a model that KLC will employ with churches across the state for the purpose of creating stronger, healthier communities.
The book can be purchased in paperback or in Kindle e-book format from Amazon.com.
STARTING WHERE YOU ARE.
For more information, please contact Thane Chastain at tchastain@kansasleadershipcenter.org.
Providing the best leadership learning experiences requires continual innovation in teaching and support mechanisms. That approach is reflected in three interactive online surveys now being utilized to improve the experiences of participants in Kansas Leadership Center leadership development programs.
CHURCH TEAMS IN COMMUNITIES.
With the goal of improving the place where they live, a new cohort of faith congregation teams will participate in the Leadership & Faith Transforming Communities program beginning in March.
The Common Good Surveys are now being used in KLC programs lasting longer than a day. A pre-session survey utilizing leadership challenge scenarios helps participants gauge their knowledge of basic KLC principles and will give individuals a feel for their preferred learning style. The data provides a way for KLC staff to tailor an upcoming KLC experience to better meet the needs of participants.
The multi-phase program is for teams from Kansas faith congregations that want to make their communities healthier and more prosperous. Each team will be paired with a coach to strengthen their abilities to work together, deepen their learning and practice of KLC competencies and increase their capacity to make progress on tough community challenges.
A mid-session survey will allow participants to track their progress learning KLC ideas in real time. There is, finally, a Post-Session Knowledge Survey that will help participants assess how far they’ve come since the beginning of the program.
The registration deadline for the program is Feb. 3. Please contact Allie Denning at adenning@kansasleadershipcenter.org for more information.
The tools represent another significant way to help KLC deliver more profound leadership learning and to empower participants to make the most of their own program experiences.
FOR THE COMMON GOOD BOOK NOW ONLINE.
A book that traces the origins of the Kansas Leadership Center and evolving ideas about civic leadership and outlines an approach for leading effectively on
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AIRPORT RENAMING QUEST REVEALS CHALLENGES OF ATTEMPTING TO ENERGIZE OTHERS
Jan Harrison hadn’t expected to get so emotional. Since the summer, she’d urged from her drive-time broadcast chair at 104.5 The Fox for Wichita to rename Mid-Continent Airport for Abilene-raised President Dwight David Eisenhower.
She also had to manage her most nagging trigger, the often vague reasons some people advanced in opposition to the plan. She hadn’t realized how much the name change meant to her until someone at work suggested she pour her time and focus into something she really cared about. The renaming meant so much because her father served as an Eisenhower alternate delegate at the 1956 Republican National Convention.
Harrison had started a petition. She’d written letters to the editor and met with opinion leaders about her idea. She had studied the renaming process. But on one October night, as Eisenhower biographer David Nichols closed his presentation about the 34th president’s civil rights record to a small gathering at The Kansas African American Museum, the dream she felt with such certainty in her gut had begun tying knots in her throat.
Eisenhower to her also reflected a common-sense leadership the current political beast clawing at our political process seems so starved for.
This passion drew others and represents the intrinsic power of an activity infused with purpose.
So she told the story of a cold warrior and visionary who funded NASA and established the Interstate highway system. How he refused to appoint segregationists to the federal bench and stacked the high court with judges friendly to the upcoming Brown v. Board case. How he sent troops to Little Rock’s Central High School to enforce the order.
The past few months have involved multiple meetings with people as passionately against renaming the airport, where a new $100 million terminal is being built. Harrison has learned to separate their criticism from her role as the idea’s advocate.
Harrison never once sought anyone's permission but included virtually everyone she could think of in the process: World War II veterans; the recovering journalist who’d pushed the idea in 2004; Eisenhower Library officials; the Airport Authority; history buffs.
With tears in her eyes she asked those assembled to join the effort, sharing the various ways people could help.
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voices OF
CIVIC LEADERSHIP
Suddenly, the lurching movement shifted squealing into fifth gear. At the same time, the obstacles bearing down on her began to slow down.
She hadn’t expected to get so emotional. To risk so much of her professional credibility. To care so much. But it’s a good thing she did.
She ably skirted immediate obstacles – a general fear of change, countering active and passive resistance from bureaucrats and prominent citizens.
This effort to honor a great Kansan and improve the image of the city she loves wouldn’t have made it this far if she hadn’t.
She met early and often with those pushing back hardest. She took everyone’s suggestions and fears to heart and made earnest efforts to allay those fears and incorporate their ideas.
Mark E. McCormick is the executive director of The Kansas African American Museum and the recovering journalist referred to in the above text.
In voting to appoint a naming committee, a majority of the Wichita City Council lauded the effort, but she dared not hope, she said. The council continues to toss candidate names about, some vehemently against a name change. An inflated cost estimate still dogs her efforts. And she remains triggered by opposition to the renaming that bewilders her. Some don’t want to see the name changed or prefer to honor someone distinctly associated with Wichita; others seem to think it will make little difference.
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Miguel Bailon, 20, Wichita, and a physical therapy major at Butler Community College, is concerned about the costs of education.
speaking up o n ka n sas
What’s on the minds of Kansans? A lot actually. They are concerned about everything from access to good-paying jobs to diminishing water resources, declining work ethics and reductions in funding for public education. Some see the state largely heading in the right direction; others worry that something they value could be hurt in the coming years. The Journal asked Kansans from across the state to tell us what was on their minds. We sought out thoughtful people from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints, particularly people who might not normally be in the public eye. We asked about their hopes, concerns and what’s happening in Kansas right now that most significantly affects their lives. And we also asked:
“What do you want to see happen here to benefit the common good?” Their insights reveal values that so many of us share, even as they demonstrate that our experiences, opinions and concerns differ greatly on the basis of who we are and where we live.
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Like many Kansas college students, Miguel Bailon, 20, worries about the price of education. As the state chips away at university funding, tuition rates creep higher. A sophomore in physical therapy at Butler Community College, Bailon’s resources are especially limited. He’s the son of undocumented immigrants who came from Mexico to the U.S. when he was 1 year old. That means no financial aid. Bailon received permission to stay and work in the U.S. under a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and he plans to pursue citizenship next. In addition to carrying a 15-hour course load, he manages a McDonald’s, working 30-plus hours a week. His goal is to save enough money to complete a degree in physical therapy at Wichita State University. Even as a young adult, Bailon values the emphasis Kansans place on their history, and he thinks one of the state’s strengths is how past achievements drive future innovations.
As students, we have to deal with tuition going up. We have to work part or full time. It’s hard for us to keep up with. It was $1,500 just for books this semester, and I had a scholarship that just covered that. For my tuition, I still needed money. It’s pretty tough. My mom wakes up and says, “Today, are you at school or at work?” I’m never in the house. But my parents give me inspiration. They say, “We’ll help you out; don’t stress about school.” I feel like kids are worried about, once they finish their degree, how fast will it be to find a job here? They’re not sure if the program they’re going to in school will lead to a job once they graduate. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE FOR THE COMMON GOOD IN KANSAS?
I want to see less crime in Wichita, less violence in Old Town [an entertainment district in downtown Wichita, which had a deadly shooting last fall]. People are scared to go downtown, and they’re thinking, where are the police? But it’s just the people that can change it. Wichita is a place where people always say there’s nothing going on. Young people need to tell other young people, if you don’t take care of this, you’re not going to have it much longer.
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HOW WILL WE MANAGE CUTS IN EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE? Dawn Williams is a 36-year-old optometrist and a mother of three who is married to Charlie, a physical therapist. She has been back in Garden City for seven years, where she is active in her church and volunteers at a low-vision clinic. She is proud of the progress she sees in her town, with downtown revitalization, philanthropic events and support for the arts. “There isn’t a weekend without something to do in our town,” she says. Williams is primarily concerned with the future of education and health care in Kansas. Education has always been strong in the state of Kansas. It seems that educators are continuing to have to do more with less money. As a mother of three, this is very troubling. I was educated in the public schools of Kansas and felt very well prepared for college and graduate school. With all of the cuts the school system is facing, I am concerned that my children will not get the same education I received. My husband and I are both small business owners. The climate of health care is changing dramatically. We both pursued careers in health care to help people. With the changes in health care we are concerned about the cuts that are being made and their potential to affect our abilities to care for our patients in the way we want to. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE FOR THE COMMON GOOD IN KANSAS?
I often listen to the issues that continue to go on in politics, society, communities, etc., and wonder why it has to be so difficult to apply the golden rule. I am not naive and understand that many decisions that have to be made are quite difficult to extrapolate to the entire population. It just seems that so much conflict could be avoided by putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes for a few minutes. Dawn Williams, Garden City, is concerned about the cuts in education and health care. 14.
Mark Epstein, Johnson County, is in favor of the state continuing to invest in the economy by encouraging new businesses to make Kansas home.
SEEING A STATE THAT’S ON THE RIGHT PATH
Mark Epstein’s parents moved from Kansas City, Mo., to Johnson County for the strong public school system when he was a teenager. Schools, a family-friendly environment and the cost of living are a big part of why he has no intention of leaving. The 44-year-old real estate attorney has plenty of concerns for the country as a whole – immigration and welfare reform to name a few. But the married father of two children, ages 10 months and 3 years, feels comfortable that Kansas is headed in the right direction. He was happy to see Kansas enact concealed carry laws in recent years. And the fiscal conservative says he’s excited the state has adopted a business-friendly climate when it comes to taxes and incentives. WHAT MAKES YOU HOPEFUL ABOUT KANSAS AND ITS FUTURE?
I think we’re a forward-thinking state, and we encourage businesses to locate here. In the long term I think that’s the smart thing to do. Build a huge tax base. Bring businesses in. Bring national companies in. Bring global companies here. Have them locate their employees here, their infrastructure here. Have them generate their revenue here. Have their employees live here and pay sales tax here and increase your property tax (base). WHAT IS HAPPENING IN KANSAS RIGHT NOW THAT MOST SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS YOUR LIFE?
Epstein, who works throughout Missouri and Kansas in land-use law, is a big proponent of development. He believes the state’s strategic incentives have helped communities get stalled development moving. I like seeing Kansas being proactive. I like seeing them attract new business because that brings tax dollars to the cities and counties and state. And that’s what allows us to have potholes fixed in a day. Streetlights changed out in a day. Schools that never have outdated stuff. Those are the benefits to having a good tax base, and that comes from forward-thinking leadership attracting big business and getting a good tax base here.
I am hopeful that our economy in the state of Kansas stays strong, and I am hopeful that we continue to maintain elected leaders that continue to push for education, educational services and an appropriate use of our tax dollars.
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HOW WILL WE ADDRESS OUR WATER PROBLEMS? Tina Walker owns Walker Plumbing and Irrigation in Scott City. She is married to John, who has lived on their farm since he was age 5. They raised their daughter there. Her mother-in-law lives in another house on the property. Walker is concerned about conservation of natural resources, particularly water. Some of their neighbors are now hauling water for home use. It’s a double-edged sword for her family because much of their plumbing and irrigation business is agricultural and there’s little need now for new irrigation equipment because water is in such short supply. The lack of water threatens her family’s existence on many levels, from livelihood to more emotional issues.
Being from western Kansas, out here we have a lot of water issues. We are actually out of water here on our farm. They've drilled as much as they can. There are several places around here that have to haul water in for even daily use. Water has become a real big problem. We don't have lawns, we can't plant any new trees, we've had to just let our trees die. They drilled our well for the third time, and they went just as low as they could. It's not really a well now; it's just collecting run-off. When they start up these pivots around our place, we start pumping sand and our water is not fit to drink. We have to haul water to cook and drink with. Five or six miles away, they already have big holding tanks in their yard. I know crops and farms are very important — that's what keeps us going — but it's not going to do a lot of good if we don't have any water around. I have to be careful — farmers come in, and that's their livelihood. In the last five-six years our income has declined because there are not any new irrigation lines or new pivots going in because of the water problems. My husband has plumbing to fall back on. We know at some point there won’t be any irrigation work around. I don’t really think there is going to be an easy or fast solution, but when you need water, that's a necessity.
Tina Walker, Scott City, is concerned about the water issues that face Kansas.
Mina Miller, 29, Burlington, is concerned about the cost of the living, and the need for more job training.
HOW CAN WE HELP PROVIDE MORE JOB TRAINING FOR WORKERS?
Mina Miller, 29, lives in Burlington and works in housekeeping at the local 36-bed hospital. She is on her second marriage and she and her husband, who is on disability, live in a three-bedroom trailer. Miller’s youngest daughter lives with them and attends Head Start, a federal program that promotes school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families. Miller is currently taking online classes and hoping to graduate next May with an associate’s degree in business. She presently serves on a policy council for Head Start parents and as a Coffey County representative with the multi-county Board of Trustees for the East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corp., a community action agency that seeks to eliminate the causes and conditions of poverty in Anderson, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Lyon, Miami, Morris and Osage counties. She’s greatly concerned about taxes and the potential of “Obamacare” to raise her health insurance costs, which already cut deeply into her take-home pay. She worries
any more deductions from her paycheck will make it that much harder for her family to make ends meet each month. The government takes so much in taxes. I gross about $800 and something every two weeks and I only bring home $500. They (her employer) take $300 out for either taxes or my insurance ... One good thing is that gas is actually halfway going down right now. So people can afford to drive to their work. But when it goes back up, what exactly are people going to be able to do? I’d like to have an office job but the problem is … whenever you get out of school, unless you have experience, nobody around is going to hire you. I think if we just had a little bit more training, even for people out of school … that way, if you apply for a job, you can honestly say, here I have this little bit of training instead of, “Hey, I have no training but I want that job.” … [Kansas needs] more job training and more programs for people who are not at the bottom end of poverty … stuff where they can live a little easier.
HOW DO WE ENSURE EQUALITY AND QUALITY IN EDUCATION? Fifteen-year-old Alex Trobough is proud to be a sophomore at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, a Kansas City, Kan., magnet school. He can name the school architect who designed the WPA-era building he walks into each morning. But he also can’t help but see the school funding inequities when he visits other schools with his swimming, baseball and debate and forensics teams. When his teams went to one south Johnson County high school in the Blue Valley district, he noticed the swimming pool, the three football fields and shiny new equipment. It struck him, given that his chemistry teacher paid for experiments out of his own pocket. The discrepancies come when local property taxes allow richer districts to bring in more money than poorer schools districts with less property tax base. You see there’s a discrepancy between the amount of funding they get and the amount of money they are able to use compared to what we have, and almost all of that is based on the system that we have that gives more money to the people that live in the richer counties. I’m not necessarily saying it’s bad. I just think it should be a little better distributed. Trobough is hardly bitter about it. He and his family moved back to Kansas City, Kan., so he could attend Sumner. But Trobough, who wants to attend Harvard Law, understands that the financial discrepancies can hurt him. One Shawnee Mission school offers a pre-law preparatory class. Trobough’s district could never justify that expense. He also attends college fairs at Johnson County schools because he started to notice more recruiters turned up there.
Alex Trobough, 15, Kansas City, would like to see a more balanced tax approach between school districts.
When [students] are better educated and more successful they obviously have more money. A lot of people tend to stay in the area that they were born and grew up in or they tend to spend money there because they still have family there and they send money back. So not only do you see that there is the immediate benefit that you get from higher funding for these kids, you also see that there is a lot more money in the system years later down the road.
Buddy Shannon, Wichita, would like the state’s best students to stay in Kansas.
HOW DO WE KEEP OUR STATE’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST? When a young Buddy Shannon came to Kansas 30 years ago, he found a job right away in Wichita’s aircraft industry. That probably wouldn’t happen today, he says. Opportunities are limited for young men without a college degree. That’s just one reason Shannon helped found Real Men Real Heroes, a mentoring program for at-risk young men that gives them access to role models they may not have elsewhere in their lives. Shannon serves as the group’s board president. He’s also a Big Brother and a trustee for the Wichita Children’s Home, all while working as maintenance manager at TreeTop Nursery. Shannon says his hopes for the future of all Kansas children are tied to the state’s economic climate and its influence on employment, innovation and even relationships. He says his Christian faith is his primary reason for any optimism. He hopes Kansas, which has been a groundbreaker in the past, can find ways to help the “nation get away from political gridlock and be an example of ways to embrace each other across the aisle.”
One of my major concerns as a youth mentor is how to equip and prepare these young people for a future unlike the one I grew up in. When I listen to them talk about their career choices, rarely do those keep them in Kansas. I think we’ve got to keep some of our best and brightest students here if the state is going to be competitive. If we can, it would be very realistic of us to think that some new, successful ventures are over the horizon. If they get away from us, it won’t help us as much in the way of innovation. I don’t think the bottom is falling out, but I think we have a lot more single-parent homes. A lot of that has to do with the economy — that has an effect on relationships. A lot of the jobs that were part of the process in building airplanes are no longer here. I think we’re at a crossroads, where if we make some of those decisions that cost us a little money now, it will help us recruit new businesses and maintain some of our existing ones. I think we should come up with incentives or tax breaks to help new or small businesses bring in revenue.
WILL THERE BE AFFORDABLE HIGHER ED HERE? Wayne Dean is a 48-year-old single father living in the Kansas City metro area. He has two children, a son, Alec, 23, and a daughter, Taylor, 18. Since 2004 he has worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas in the IT Department. He monitors and configures applications used to run the business. When he and his wife divorced, he was awarded custody of the children. His son started school in Kansas City, Mo., but he moved them to Johnson County 14 years ago because he thought the education would be better. Now that his daughter has graduated high school, he’s considering a move out of state. He’s looking at moving to Oregon, where a new education program offers opportunities for college for his daughter. He’d also like to open a small business, but wouldn’t consider doing that in Kansas now. He wants a more urban environment with a thriving art scene and more people who share his political views. Education is really significant in my life. I have an 18-year-old who needs to go to school, and I can’t afford it. I don’t want her to have to take out massive student loans. That’s one of the biggest things that weighs on me. I moved to Kansas so my kids could get a quality education, and I think that’s in danger now. We need to invest dramatically in education because that’s what is going to keep our state thriving. I moved to Kansas for my kids, so I could give them what I thought was a stable environment. I’m as left as you can probably get. I’m single. I’m gay. I’m a dad. I’m all of those things. I’m a liberal living in a conservative state, and I chose to do that, but I’ve always felt like a fish out of water here in Kansas. I don’t regret moving here.” Wayne Dean, 48, Kansas City, is concerned about the cost of higher education in Kansas. 10.
A GLIMPSE AT WHAT KANSANS THINK A statewide poll conducted earlier this year by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University provides a sense of what Kansans think about certain matters and issues.
87%
think Kansas is at least a good place to live
53%
BUT NEARLY
think the Kansas economy is good or better.
BUT
23%
41%
of those ages 18-24 consider it to be fair or poor.
of Kansans making less than $10,000 a year find the economy to be poor or very poor.
NEARLY 85%
We’re not terribly satisfied with the efforts of elected officials to improve the economy. About
4-IN-10
of Kansans are concerned to some degree that the Kansas economy will seriously threaten their welfare or their family’s welfare in the coming year.
Kansans express dissatisfaction on the issue.
NEARLY 1-IN-3 KANSANS SAY THEY ARE “VERY CONCERNED” ABOUT THREATS FROM THE ECONOMY. The poll shows Kansans have competing values when it comes to state spending. BUT
44.5%
of Kansans think state spending should be decreased.
HOWEVER
66.5%
of Kansans support increased funding for K-12 education.
ANOTHER 50.1% SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES WHILE 45.1% SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. Those three areas of the budget, though, make up nearly 90% of the state’s general fund expenditures (education: 62.4%, human services 26.7%, other areas: 13.9%)
The very areas for which Kansans support increased spending are ones that would probably have to be reduced to allow for an overall decrease in state spending.
23.
Benny and Linda Robbins live in Chanute and are concerned about water and helping more people become self-sufficient.
HOW CAN WE HELP PEOPLE BECOME MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT? Benny and Linda Robbins grew up in Oklahoma and now live in Chanute. Linda, 65, is a retired teacher who taught in special education and Benny, 69, is a Vietnam veteran and retired agriculture educator and extension director. They have two daughters who are in their 30s. The oldest is an associate professor at Kansas State University in apparel and textiles. The youngest is an OB/GYN in Wichita. They have one granddaughter who is 2 years old.
WHEN YOU THNK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF KANSAS, WHAT CONCERNS YOU THE MOST?
Linda: The strongest thing about being in the Midwest is our strong family and work ethic. As that erodes, that is a huge concern. We need more people involved in their family and taking care of one another and helping children to get good educations, taking them to church, and raising them with good values and work ethics. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE FOR THE COMMON GOOD IN KANSAS?
Linda: I think anything that we can do to support family and to focus on that is so primary in raising good, hard-working adults. Good education and help for people that need help. We don’t have very many crisis centers. We do, thanks to the efforts of hardworking people, have a faith house facility that takes in homeless people, but it’s always full. One thing I don’t like is greed. I feel we all have a responsibility to help one another. I don’t mean just a handout — I mean getting in there, teaching and training. There’s a lot of people that do that around here. Benny: It would help if we somehow had a higher level of income. Higher-paying jobs maybe. Linda: I think people do value education and work, but sometimes they don’t have cars to get to work, and they don’t have good arrangements in their living quarters so their kids come to school well-fed. I don’t know if people really understand how difficult it is for people on the margin. I think they have this attitude that people are not well educated and are not working because they’re lazy. A lot of people just need to be trained. Visit the blog on www.kansasleadershipcenter.org for more “Speaking Up on Kansas” profiles.
Once known for having a dome with a green patina, the Kansas Statehouse sports a shiny copper top, one of the final touches of a $300 million renovation project that began in 2001. The large freshman class that populated the Kansas House after re-districting returns to work this month.
Making a Mark? A historic class of first-time legislators in the Kansas House significantly influenced the tenor of the 2013 Legislature. But more challenges loom ahead for the group in this election year session. Will an unusually large, well-connected cohort be able to vote their differing values, stay connected and have an impact?
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
State Rep. Brandon Whipple, D-Wichita, plays with his son AJ at their south Wichita home. State Rep. Stephanie Clayton, R-Overland Park, listens to a speaker at a neighborhood meeting in Johnson County.
Remember the first day of high school?
last-minute redistricting decision meant candidates put their name on a ballot without much time to figure out what the Kansas Legislature was all about. The jury remains still very much out on what the impact of the newcomers might be.
There’s trepidation about the unknown. The unease of looking foolish while juggling a rigorous workload. And a lingering concern about upperclassmen. That essentially sums up how many freshman House members say they felt as they walked into the majestic Statehouse when the 2013 session of the Kansas Legislature began. Often newbies come to Topeka ready to take on the world but end up biding time until they learn the ropes and earn the trust of key committee members in order to gain footing and make a difference.
“There’s really a learning curve because so many people were essentially talked into running,” Hawver says.
COMMUNICATION THROUGH DISAGREEMENT
But a lot changed in 2013 when the largest freshman class of legislators in four decades was sworn into office, a byproduct of federal judges redrawing boundaries to resolve a redistricting dispute. The ruling prompted a mad rush of last-minute candidate filings. In the House, the influx of newcomers was especially significant. Forty-nine new members in that 125-person body served in the Legislature for the first time. Over the course of the session, House members became an important source of votes as the Legislature wrestled with – and eventually settled on – making part of a temporary sales tax increase permanent to help shore up the state’s budget a year after the passage of historic income tax cuts.
The freshmen sworn into the House in January 2013 tended to be mostly Republican and fiscally and socially conservative. But the group included lawmakers from differing points on the political spectrum. They all quickly learned that the freshman class shared an identity of sorts that crossed ideologies. They all want to make Kansas a better place. Of course getting there was the tricky part. Former legislator Kenny Wilk, Lansing, says the class was unique for its size. But he was also struck by the diversity in age and background.
The position was a particularly sticky one for House freshmen, many of whom ran on a platform of cutting government spending and lowering taxes. They all found themselves voting on whether to help pay for major decisions that predated their tenure.
“I’m really delighted at the diversity and background of folks. They’ve got such a wide range of experiences that they all bring,” says Wilk, who served as faculty for Leadership and Legacy in the Statehouse, the Kansas Leadership Center’s seven-month course for new legislators. “The fact of the matter is you’ve got some fairly young members in this class, and then you’ve got folks who are retired. But yet they’ve come together and seem to enjoy each other and they seem to have some ability to take that wide range of perspective and ability and put it all together.”
With a year’s worth of experience under their belts, the House’s freshmen are back to work this month for the 2014 session. As they enter the election-year session, members acknowledge that it’s unclear how strongly connected the class will remain. It also remains to be seen what level of influence the group might wield now and into the future.
Even after a bruising and highly partisan session many House freshmen say they don’t look back and see a malicious legislative body. Instead many believe the chamber’s freshmen will be remembered as a free-thinking group that – though sharply divided at times – didn’t waste time jumping into the complex and intricate details that go into the public’s business.
Longtime Statehouse observer Martin Hawver, who publishes Hawver’s Capitol Report, says the
“I would say about 99 percent of the freshmen that I worked with really are doing this job because they
28.
“There’s a certain amount of distrust when it comes to partisan politics, but if you have that relationship then it’s a lot easier to say, ‘no, this is what my goal is with this bill and what do you think of it and would you be on board with it?” BRANDON WHIPPLE
“They knew where to go. They knew who was who. They knew the little secrets. I didn’t know any of those secrets. I actually had not stepped foot in the Capitol since my fourthgrade field trip.” STEPHANIE CLAYTON
“It’s very important to have a rapport and relationships when you’re doing business.”
really do care and they want to make Kansas a better place. They genuinely do. They disagree with me on how to do it. But at least it’s easy to find that common ground,” says Rep. Stephanie Clayton, a Republican from Overland Park. Wilk was impressed by the group’s ability to keep discussion going despite disagreements. Typically freshman lawmakers come together for a preparatory class then go to their separate caucuses.
CHARLES MACHEERS ABOVE: Rep. Charles Macheers, RShawnee, walks in a local park with his wife, Diane, and son, Jackson.
It might be too early to tell what distinguishes this class, but he’s “cautiously optimistic” that communication will be part of it. Ideally, he’d like to see lawmakers sharing stories about their families and creating bonds early on. “Over the long haul, that’s the stuff that can make a difference in civil discourse,” Wilk says.
“I think anytime a legislator casts a vote, they’re either leading or following.” MELISSA ROOKER
RIGHT: Rep. Melissa Rooker, R-Fairway, walks with her son , Jack, a student at KU, on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence.
Communication – even through disagreement – is critical, he says. “You want to have relationships strong enough that they always keep talking,” he says. “We’ve seen an example very recently in Washington of what happens when people aren’t talking. Government is paralyzed. We are better than that.”
UNITED, IF ONLY FOR A MOMENT But lawmakers freely acknowledge that maintaining dialogue became a challenge as the friction of the session became more intense. Friendships began to wear as the session dragged on, and tax policy prompted clear division.
30.
“We were best friends and then we started voting differently, and we all broke apart,” Clayton says. Just as it seemed the freshmen had pulled apart for good, a news story popped up. Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce made a comment to a reporter that some interpreted as pinning the blame for an extended session and budget impasse on inexperienced freshman lawmakers.
BEYOND POLITICAL IDEOLOGY Becker says the comment didn’t represent how the freshman class was treated overall. “There’s a certain camaraderie among all of the representatives, and I think we freshmen were so welcomed and accepted that we weren’t treated like ‘sit down and shut up,’” Becker says.
"Most of them spent half of the session trying to find where the bathrooms are," Bruce told The Topeka Capital-Journal. "And we're asking them to change state policy for a generation. That's an intimidating task.”
Some freshman lawmakers had spent months, even years in the Statehouse working in other capacities. “They knew where to go. They knew who was who. They knew the little secrets,” Clayton says. “I didn’t know any of those secrets. I actually had not stepped foot in the Capitol since my fourth-grade field trip.”
The words reverberated across the state. Some lawmakers laughed it off, but others felt insulted. “Talk about drawing the freshman class together,” says Rep. Steve Becker, a Republican from Buhler. “All of a sudden we’re all on the same team.”
But Clayton walked in knowing several faces. She was one of 30 lawmakers – including one senator, Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth – who attended KLC’s Leadership and Legacy in the Statehouse. The program brought freshman lawmakers together for a series of retreats and workshops before, during and after the session.
The freshman GOP caucus chair, Ottawa Republican Rep. Blaine Finch, wrote a response defending his chamber’s newcomers. He noted that the group included military officials, former mayors, sitting city council and school board members, successful entrepreneurs, farmers, ranchers and “people with excellent analytical skills who are more than capable of understanding state tax policy.”
Several participants say the training helped strip ideologies and open dialogue for pragmatic conversations. Rep. Charles Macheers, a Republican from Shawnee, says the relationship building set a strong foundation. “You got to establish professional relationships with [other legislators] earlier, and it’s very important to have a rapport and relationships when you’re doing business,” Macheers says.
The moment didn’t last long though. The senator’s comment “brought us all together again albeit for a brief and fleeting moment,” Clayton says. “I think that was the last time that the freshman class of 2012 will all be together again.” 31.
Rep. Steve Becker, R-Buhler, lives on a farm just outside of town.
“I don’t write my legacy. Someone else writes my legacy” STEVE BECKER
27.
“The way I voted influenced others whether I liked it or not.� KEVIN JONES
Rep. Kevin Jones, R-Wellsville, and his wife, Nicole, children, Matty, Sylas, Ellie, Asa and Beniah.
Rep. Melissa Rooker, a Republican from Fairway, went to the Statehouse knowing she would find herself regularly at odds with some of the most powerful Republicans regarding education. The class allowed her to start making connections before debate began.
An attorney by trade, Macheers is used to being in an adversarial role with other attorneys on legal matters but it doesn’t mean they can’t sit down together for a friendly lunch afterward. He knows that doesn’t come as easily for everyone.
“There was so much value in getting to know my colleagues outside of the Topeka arena,” Rooker says. “There were a lot of people I don’t think I could have approached otherwise.”
“You can still be polite and get along,” he says. “We respect each other’s right to disagree.” He appreciated how most lawmakers kept the debate temperature warm – but not hot.
“We became familiar with people beyond their political ideologies,” Becker says. “You hang labels around other people’s necks. And we put so much reliance and importance on those labels. What the leadership course did was to show me that those labels are so superficial.”
“The founding fathers designed our republic to be bumpy. There’s supposed to be open, robust debate,” he says. “And that’s to make sure we don’t have bad laws.”
FORMING UNUSUAL BONDS
THE BASIS OF TRUST
The class connected Becker, a retired district court judge, with Rooker, a former Hollywood executive who lives in a Johnson County suburb. Becker laughs thinking how they were the most unlikely connection of the freshman class.
The relationships made the environment friendly and respectful but it also became a crucial way to get things accomplished since nothing is accomplished alone in Topeka. “There’s a certain amount of distrust when it comes to partisan politics, but if you have that relationship then it’s a lot easier to say, ‘no, this is what my goal is with this bill and what do you think of it and would you be on board with it?’ And you build that by having these interactions,” Whipple says.
“What does a Kansas farm boy have in common with her?” laughs Becker. “But we do. We do have things in common.” Rooker has been his go-to source on education issues. Rooker seeks his advice on criminal justice bills. Rep. Brandon Whipple, a Wichita Democrat, says his party affiliation didn’t immediately come up during the retreats.
That scenario happened this year when Clayton asked him to help generate support for legislation that she introduced and feared might be misconstrued by Democrats who otherwise had no reason to trust her.
“Whipple, you’re a Democrat?” one lawmaker asked well into the coursework.
“She wrote a bill protecting women, and I got to stick up for her bill in my caucus because I knew her,” Whipple says.
If KLC classmates knew his party, it didn’t seem to matter. “We were able to build relationships based on what we were sharing with the class,” he says. “We were pretty exposed to each other in the course.”
Others from the class also came to Whipple to seek support. It impressed the new legislator. “(Republicans) have a constitutional majority at this point, so technically they don’t need to include Democrats and sometimes they don’t,” he says. It persuaded him not to shy away from striking up conversations with Republicans. He often found himself talking about movies and sharing jokes with a group of conservative lawmakers about his age.
The connections paid off for Whipple when they arrived in Topeka. He felt comfortable going to Republican classmates to ask their thoughts on a bill if he knew their background or professional job might provide more insight. And others felt comfortable coming to him.
“You can’t let partisanship get in the way of making friends,” he says. “We don’t agree on much when it comes to politics, but we were able to go out to eat and hang out when it’s appropriate.”
There is value in getting to know people outside of debate, Macheers says.
35.
STANDING BY PRINCIPLES
WHAT KIND OF LEGACY?
Yet the job was hardly easy. Several lawmakers found themselves unexpectedly in the spotlight and influencing others.
Ask just about any freshman lawmaker about his or her legacy and the answer isn’t all that different. They want to create a brighter future for Kansans.
Rooker was heckled as she delivered a statement about gun control at the well, the podium from which legislators speak to the body. She remembers it was late, and only lawmakers were inside the room. “That stunned me,” she says. “I was stunned at the absolute lack of respect.”
Macheers holds out an iPhone photo that captures his young son, a kindergartener, flashing an angelic smile.
But she continued on because she wanted to explain her vote. “I think anytime a legislator casts a vote, they’re either leading or following,” Rooker says. Several lawmakers say they were also able to exercise influence in unexpected ways.
“Everything I vote on, I’m thinking of him,” he says. Jones is clear on that, too. He doesn’t want his children saddled with debt and ineffective laws. He’s going to use that guidance to let his legacy find him. “Any legislator should be very careful about trying to manufacture (a legacy),” Jones says. Many agreed that it’s too early to write their legacy. Some don’t want to think of it in those terms at all. “I don’t write my legacy. Someone else writes my legacy,” Becker says firmly.
“One of the very satisfying experiences was when my colleagues would come to me and ask me what I thought,” Becker says. “They trust my opinion on court and criminal matters.”
Yet he and many others have already naturally created the groundwork.
The budget process also proved telling for Rep. Kevin Jones, a Republican from Wellsville.
This year Becker plans to continue a drive to abolish the death penalty. Jones will again push hard against creating any additional debt. Rooker plans to continue work on education policy.
“The way I voted influenced others whether I liked it or not,” Jones says, reflecting on the tense predicament he faced. Jones declined to change his no vote on the budget even when questioned by others whom he greatly respected. The budget included a spending measure that went against one of his guiding principles. It left the freshman in the awkward position of being at odds with nearly every fellow conservative in Topeka. At one point, one vote was the only thing that stood in the way of the budget passing and the entire legislative body going home for the year. Several legislators turned around and stared squarely at the freshman. Jones stood firm even though he too wanted little more than to go home. “There are certain things you can’t go against,” Jones says. Others agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment. “It’s not worth doing if I can’t stand by my principles,” Rooker says. “It isn’t worth the energy.”
But most lawmakers aren’t fixated on just one issue. “What I want most is to build consensus,” Rooker says. However, the House class legacy may also be partially defined by how they handle the challenges and circumstances thrown at them. University of Kansas political scientist Burdett Loomis says there are several issues that may test lawmakers this year, and in the years ahead. “How they deal with impending issues like funding education maybe in the face of a court order and declining tax revenues that are starting to slump” could be among them, Loomis says. But many say their goals and ultimate legacy should be about something that can be less hard to quantify. Macheers wants to be known as someone who has done his due diligence and research on every single bill he votes on. The historic nature of their work is hardly lost on him and others. It’s something he and others considered every time they cast a vote. “It has to be good law 10 years from now,” he says. “It has to be something that lasts for a long time.” 36. 40.
sTaTeHouse peRspeCTiVe: Hammering out a healthy deal key to leadership, too By Chris Green
are happy with the outcome even if there isn’t an outright winner or loser.
When we think of negotiating, the image that comes to mind might be of the president and Congress trying to come to a tense, last-minute agreement to avoid an impending fiscal crisis, as happened last fall in Washington, D.C. But the skill of being able to negotiate healthy agreements isn’t just a valuable tool for politicians or diplomats, in the view of one member of the Legislature’s large 2013 freshman class, Marshall Christmann. Even though it may not always be obvious to us, making progress in civic leadership on the local, regional or state level also means frequently engaging in negotiation.
Going into negotiations, both sides have to have a clear idea of what outcome they want from the negotiation. But they also have to prioritize those desires and be willing to trade off some outcomes to get what’s most important to them. Sometimes even that isn’t possible, and a negotiating party will have to decide when it is willing to accept the “best alternative to a negotiated agreement.” Furthermore, simply getting everything you want – and having the other side lose out – isn’t necessarily an ideal outcome in negotiation either. Christmann cites the work of William Ury, who co-authored a book called “Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (p. 7).”
Being more conscious of the fact that leadership involves negotiation and compromise – rather than only making something you want happen – might help more Kansans be more effective at exercising it.
Win-lose agreements tend be very unhealthy, Christmann says, and good agreements must be: (a) healthy, (b) sustainable and (c) efficient.
“I feel that good leaders are already, to a degree, good negotiators,” says Christmann, a Republican state representative from Lyons who participated in the Kansas Leadership Center’s Leadership and Legacy in the Statehouse program for freshman legislators in 2013. “They just haven’t realized the negotiating skills they are using. They just don’t realize it or it comes natural. They think they’re operating with intuition when, in actuality, they’re engaging in negotiations.”
“If any of those elements don’t exist, the end product of the negotiation stands to fall apart over time or leave a bad taste in the other person’s mouth. That just leads to further problems down the road,” Christmann says. To keep negotiations on track, Christmann says, it’s important for the parties involved to regularly check in to make sure they truly understand what is being agreed to and to avoid miscommunication.
It seems like it would be a natural connection for Christmann to make. After all, being a chief negotiator for a labor union of chemical workers who contract with the local salt plant is one of Christmann’s four jobs. He also works as a municipal judge and in an industrial job, in addition to his legislative duties and representing the National Chemical Workers Local 278C.
“One of the things that negotiation teaches you to do is to ask clarifying questions and to check for understanding,” Christmann says. “If you’re not checking for understanding and you’re not asking clarifying questions, you can start to grow apart from where you think are.”
But the link between negotiating labor contracts and mobilizing others to make progress wasn’t cemented in his mind until he read a Summer 2013 Journal article about leadership and failure. “I had that moment when a light bulb goes off,” Christmann says. “You fail in negotiation all the time. Not only that, but when I read the article, I realized some negotiation tactics could have been used to keep some outcomes from happening.”
Christmann has had proud moments in his negotiating work, such as a 42-day marathon of negotiations in which his union nearly called a strike but ultimately reached agreement with management. But his first negotiation at age 21 failed when it produced a contract that rank-andfile members of the union voted down. In his legislative role, Christmann uses negotiation approaches in his conversations with lobbyists. He always asks lobbyists to articulate the position of their opposition and concede valid points they might have. Good lobbyists, he says, respond to the approach, and it helps him get a better understanding of the issue they are coming to talk to him about.
When negotiations occur, Christmann says, there are three types of agreement the sides are likely to reach: (1) win-lose, an agreement where one side wins almost entirely what they want and the other side loses; (2) win-win, where both sides win what they want; and (3) mutual satisfaction, an agreement where both sides 34.
C
F O S T
WHEN AN INFLU ENTIAL PREAC HER WIT H INTOLERANT VIEWS AND NAZI SYMPATHIES SAT ON THE C USP OF POWER IN 1938 KANSAS , AN UNLIKELY QUART ET OF WICHITA CLERGYMEN TRIED TO HALT HIS CHARGE AND S CORE A VIC TORY AGAINST HATE. IT’S A HISTORICAL TALE THAT PROVIDES INSPIRATION – AND CAUTIONARY LESSONS – FOR THOSE LOOKING TO STEP FORWARD AND LEAD IN HEATED SITUATIONS TODAY.
E G A R U O C By Seth Bate
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It sounds like it could be the opening to some bad joke: A rabbi, two priests and a minister climb in a truck and drive across Kansas. Yet this ecumenical posse from Wichita wasn’t joking. They were out to stop a fifth minister, or at least to keep him from getting elected to a powerful political post. But even more than that, this group of men from very different religious traditions was undertaking a mission of promoting tolerance. Their quest came in the midst of tumultuous Great Depression-era times that had brought suffering, uncertainty and change to the lives of many Kansans. The men in the truck were Rabbi Harry R. Richmond of Congregation Emanu-El, Monsignor William Michael Farrell of St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Rev. Samuel K. West of St. James Episcopal Church and the Rev. John Henry Hornung, Plymouth Congregational Church. The man sparking their quest was the Rev. Gerald B. Winrod, founder of the Wichita-based Defenders of the Christian Faith, who sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 1938. He had expressed anti-Jewish views and sympathized with the Nazis, who had risen to power in Germany. But the beginnings of World War II were still a year away, and America’s entry into the conflict would not come for another three years. Winrod’s foray into politics represented an expansion of his efforts after developing a substantial following to his devout but conspiracy-laden expression of religious faith. His call to ministry was uniquely Kansan. According to family legend, Winrod’s barkeep father was on duty when Carry Nation smashed up the Wichita saloon on one of her temperance raids. That event started a change of heart for the family, which was completed a few years later when Winrod’s dying mother experienced a miraculous healing. His overcome father entered the ministry. Winrod delivered his first sermon in his teens.
circular letters or radio appearances on issues, he emphasized moral living. His best-known book, Christ Within, was built on a theme that resonated with many Christians: “America is confronted with a crisis and … only an applied Christianity and the ‘Faith of our fathers’ will solve its problems.” Part of that crisis, according to Winrod and many other Christians, was the practice of teaching evolution in schools. Controversies over the issue inspired 25-year-old Winrod to call a meeting of selfdescribed fundamentalist clergy in Salina and, from there, to start the Wichita-based Defenders of the Christian Faith. By the time he announced his Senate candidacy about 12 years later, Winrod had national support. His publication, The Defender, claimed a circulation of 100,000. Winrod was speaking weekly on WIBW (Topeka) and KANS (Wichita) radio stations controlled by the popular former governor and current senator Arthur Capper. He was widely regarded as an expert in biblical prophecy. Winrod’s take on prophecy was likely how he came to the attention of Rabbi Richmond, who served Congregation Emanu-El from 1930 to 1955. The 1930s were a difficult time in American Judaism. Jews found themselves all too often a target for blame in the nation’s woes. The number of anti-Jewish groups in the United States grew from a handful in the 1920s to more than a hundred, according to scholar Richard Frankel. The Defenders was the one closest to Richmond’s home. Winrod’s writing demonstrated that he was anti-Semitic and sympathetic to Nazi policies.
“AMERICA IS
Winrod only briefly had his own church, instead traveling for months at a time speaking as a guest in other pulpits or broadcasting in a vehicle outfitted with speakers.
CONFRONTED WITH A CRISIS.”
Typical of evangelical pastors of his time, Winrod was more interested in soul-saving than in the issues of the day. When he spoke out through his magazines,
REV. GERALD B. WINROD 40.
“THE EDITOR IS VERY, VERY SYMPATHETIC WITH THE ANTI-SEMITIC PROGRAM AND PROPAGANDA OF MR. HITLER.” REV. SAMUEL K. WEST
The Wichita evangelist had written for the past decade about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which purported to reveal how a small number of Jews controlled world events. Though it had been thoroughly discredited, this piece of writing repeatedly fueled anti-Jewish sentiment and conspiracy theories. The conspiracy claims would have made an educated man like Richmond laugh if the potential consequences were not so serious. Leo Ribuffo, a religious historian, summed it up: “Winrod combined popular anti-Semitic lore and conservative theology to produce an extraordinarily coherent theory of subversion by ‘a certain element of apostate Jewry.’” At this stage of his ministry, Winrod viewed Jews as a threat but also a necessary part of God’s plan for redeeming the world. “Let no defender of the faith allow his heart to be filled with hatred for the Jews,” he wrote. “Your attitude should not be so much a matter of trying to determine what is right and wrong! You should be interested rather in interpreting these strange events in the light of fulfilled prophecy.” When he was stumping, Winrod said none of this, staying with safe topics in Republican Kansas — defend against Communism, preserve states’ rights and push back on the New Deal. Winrod was no pushover, either. He struck back against his critics, denying the accusations against him to The New York Times in July 1938 and dismissing them as smears used against the enemies of communism. “The insinuation that I have Fascist or Nazi inclinations was not uttered in sincerity, and is too absurd to be considered seriously. I denounce it as an outright falsehood. I condemn it as the cheapest kind of politics. “I am now and always have been opposed to every ‘ism’ except Americanism. It is the custom, you must
understand, to smear all enemies of communism with the charge of fascism and nazism.” Richmond worried that Kansas voters might see and hear Winrod as a gifted orator and Republican stalwart without hearing about his repugnant views. Richmond was already involved in interfaith work with other Wichita clergy who had joined him in the truck: Farrell of St. Mary’s Cathedral, West of St. James Episcopal Church and Hornung of Plymouth Congregational Church. They were cooperating on relief efforts for German Jews and discussing ways to hold back the scorn heaped on Catholics during the Al Smith presidential campaign (which occurred 10 years earlier in 1928). It’s easy to imagine that bringing up Winrod’s candidacy was a difficult choice for Richmond. With all the horrors Jews faced in Europe, a primary election in Kansas could seem trivial. Richmond also had to consider what risk he might create for his congregation. Winrod did not appear violent, and anti-Semitism in Wichita usually looked more like exclusion from social groups than destruction of property. But the lessons of the world were recent and severe. Would his people suffer if the rabbi spoke out against an anti-Semitic candidate? The four clergy colleagues decided some response was in order, probably after some discernment. Public action carried some risk. All clergy are vulnerable to the disapproval of their congregations, and any political stance was bound to upset someone. There were plenty inside and outside the church who believed ministers should stay out of politics, as evidenced by a pastor of one of Wichita’s black congregations who told newspapers he neither endorsed nor opposed Winrod and had “no interest in politics whatsoever.” United action might unravel the ecumenical bonds the men were in the process of forming.
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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The Rev. Dr. Gerald Winrod stands with his arms crossed just left of the street sign in this 1953-era photo. Winrod, who faced criticism for having Nazi sympathies and anti-Semitic views, ran the Wichita-based Defenders of the Christian Faith from this headquarters a few miles east of downtown. His publication, The Defender, could claim a circulation of 100,000 at one point. (Photo courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives, Wichita State University Libraries, Howard Eastman Collection); The “Four Horsemen of Tolerance” hailed from Wichita and brought public attention to Winrod’s intolerant views. The clergy members involved were: the Rev. Samuel K. West of St. James Episcopal Church, Monsignor William Michael Farrell of St. Mary’s Cathedral and Rabbi Harry R. Richmond of Congregation Emanu-El. A fourth minister, the Rev. John Henry Hornung (not pictured), hailed from Plymouth Congregational Church; Winrod’s Defenders created this decal opposing U.S. entry into World War II. (Image courtesy of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum)
“THIS KIND OF HATE HAD NO PLACE IN AMERICA, IN A DEMOCRACY...THE CONSTITUTION ASKS FOR
FRATERNITY, EQUALITY AND GOOD WILL.” RABBI HARRY R. RICHMOND
The Wichita men could have joined an ongoing effort by Kansas City ministers opposed to Winrod’s candidacy who hinted that he accepted Nazi funds and claimed that his writing was in the hands of Nazi officials, wild claims that were difficult to prove. Instead, Richmond and his allies were more restrained.
Protestants and a Jew, “we tried to explain that this kind of hate had no place in America, in a democracy. We pointed out that the constitution asks for fraternity, equality and good will.” They earned the name The Four Horsemen of Tolerance, a tip of the yarmulke to a nickname for the founders of Wichita.
“I do not accuse Gerald Winrod of being a Fascist or a Nazi. I was not one of the ministers who made that accusation against him personally. I take little stock in such accusations,” wrote Father West. “But I do say that a fair and unprejudiced examination of the record as it appears in the Winrod magazines will convince any reasonable person that the editor is very, very sympathetic with the anti-Semitic program and propaganda of Mr. Hitler.”
The foursome crafted their message. The Jewish population in Kansas was small, particularly in rural areas. And the 1938 election was barely a decade past the height of the Ku Klux Klan in Kansas; thousands of Kansans were or had been members. To connect the issue to the Republican voters who would choose their Senate candidate, the Four Horsemen had to do more than expose Winrod’s anti-Semitism. They also drew attention to his other outrageous views.
They decided to start where Kansans were. Inspired by The Tolerance Trio, an interfaith clergy group that went on a cross-country speaking tour in 1933, they employed a favorite tool of the Depression-era campaign and of Winrod himself — a speaker truck. “We visited nearly every city and town in Kansas,” Richmond said. “Always together,” a Catholic, two
He was anti-Catholic, making claims such as “75 percent of the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Church are of pagan origins.” He believed “illuminized” Masons were part of the world conspiracy. Winrod repeatedly criticized the Federal Council of Churches
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and the denominations represented in it for conspiring with communist enemies; for instance, he wrote about the shame of Methodism leaving its evangelical roots for modernist practices.
other people of faith, they helped form the Wichita chapter of the National Council of Christians and Jews. The chapter gave Father West its Humanitarian Award in 1953. Pastor Hornung received the same recognition in 1957, and Rabbi Richmond was recognized in 1977, the year following his death.
Jew baiting, as the practice of harassing Jews was known, might not fire up Kansans. Criticizing the churches and Masonic lodges in their own communities would.
In 1938, the Four Horsemen knew exactly who and what they were against. Their efforts were risky but skillfully executed. They sought to make lasting change and founded an organization chapter to carry that mission on past their own lives.
The campaigning clergy used media where they could. The Wichita Beacon was friendly to their message, carrying many news stories and editorials critical of Winrod. Not coincidentally, the paper was owned by the Jewish Levand family. The Beacon covered a radio address by West and followed it up with a West column on the weekly church page.
But in looking at their efforts, and those of Winrod, there are still warning flags of caution for those of us hoping to exercise leadership today. We should think carefully about our passions and fears, how we express them and how they might be viewed in the decades to come, lest we become extremists of some cause or faith in our own right. Furthermore, the creation of institutions or organizations should not become a complete substitute for continuing to advance our purposes to benefit the common good. Within the past few years, the Wichita NCCJ chapter, for instance, has folded. Intolerance still exists and may often exist in less obvious forms than in the past. The further challenge, however, is to maintain energy and effort when the work is not so cut and dried as countering a voice of hate.
Audiences warmly received the men of the cloth, and Richmond believed their words helped voters see Winrod for what he was. “Kansans didn’t fall for the propaganda,” he said. Winrod lost the nomination to former governor Clyde M. Reed of Parsons (who would ultimately win the seat). Winrod finished second in his home base of Wichita and third overall. The campaign seemed to discredit him. His reputation was further damaged when he was formally charged with sedition in 1942, although he was never convicted.
The story of the Four Horsemen reminds us of the importance of advancing the values we wish to see represented in our state over the long haul and not giving up when the heat subsides. In the case of tolerance, Kansas still needs a truck full of mobilized people to work for it, even if who needs to be in the truck and where it needs to go continues to change.
Winrod continued his work and rebuilt his magazine’s circulation. By the late 1940s and early ’50s he was consumed by “the Levand family as a menace to our city,” as he wrote in a brochure sent to every Wichita postal address in 1951. Winrod died in 1957. The Defenders distanced themselves from their founder and continued overseas mission work and operation of several retirement homes; they ran Defenders Townhouse at 155 N. Market in the 1970s.
Seth Bate of Winfield is a leadership development facilitator and coach who is pursuing a master’s degree in public history at Wichita State University. His interest in nearby history led him to the Rev. Dr. Gerald B. Winrod Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, WSU Libraries, which contributed greatly to the development of this article.
The Four Horsemen made a difference in the 1938 election and then continued their interfaith work. Richmond wrote a series of sermons for the Interfaith Chapel Hour on Wichita’s KFH radio that became a well-received book, “God on Trial,” in 1955. With
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THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF
TOLERANCE S I X L E S S O N S F R O M H I S T O RY
Leadership is difficult and risky. Rabbi Richmond, in particular, did not know what kind of backlash speaking up would bring to people of his faith in Kansas. The Four Horsemen’s broader efforts to promote interfaith bonds might have suffered a setback. It might have been safer, at least in the short term, for the clergy to stay quiet. You must decide what goals you care about enough to step forward and put yourself in the line of fire to advance.
Leading may put you in the position of disappointing the people you care about. The four clergymen took a political stand that could have upset members of their own congregations. The idea that ministers should stay out of politics was common.
You must be able to intervene in ways that connect with those you are trying to influence. The clergy knew that just exposing Winrod’s anti-Semitic views might not be enough to capture the attention of all Kansans. They had to draw attention to his other outrageous views that might impact them on a more personal level.
Your actions should be consistent with the values you are trying to advance. The Four Horsemen chose to practice restraint and didn’t try to undermine Winrod by repeating wild claims that were difficult to prove.
Be mindful of your passions and fears and how you express them and imagine how they might look to others in the future.
Don’t lose sight of the broader problem, and be careful how you define success. The clergymen helped defeat Winrod and founded an ecumenical institution to promote tolerance. But one wonders to what extent they would view their efforts as successful today.
Jade Piros de Carvalho, of Hutchinson, teaches yoga in her studio in downtown Hutchinson. She wants to use her position on the Hutchinson City Council to work on the community’s housing problems.
“I want to inspire people my age to step up and get involved.” JADE PIROS DE CARVALHO
MAXIMUM
IMPACT By Anne Dewvall
YOUNG PROFES S IONALS DON’T HAVE TO WAIT TO MA KE A S IG NIFIC A NT DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THREE WOMEN WHO’V E STEPPED INTO KEY PU B LIC SERVICE ROLES SHOW HOW IT C A N BE DON E – AND WHAT TO T HINK AB OU T WHEN MAKING THE LEAP.
sense of community that strengthens neighborhood bonds is crucial to making progress, says Piros de Carvalho, and it’s a problem that will take decades of work. Piros de Carvalho’s experience serving on the board of a community housing initiative gave her the confidence to add her voice to the discourse.
In many communities a cadre of respected, experienced older residents makes important decisions. Younger voices too often might be absent from public discourse. With diverse communities facing complicated issues such as housing crises and budget deficits, decisions made now will shape Kansas for decades to come, making it imperative that residents of tomorrow’s Kansas shape the process.
“I had never considered running [for city council] because I’m young and age is so closely correlated with wisdom and knowledge,” she says. “Once I thought about what was a problem now – housing – I realized I had perspective.”
Some young people in Kansas are making significant personal sacrifices in order to steer their community’s direction. Three such young women donned the yoke of public service last year when they were elected to the city councils of Hutchinson, Osawatomie and Topeka. With high-stakes issues on the line, they were convinced they had something to offer.
When Amanda Martin decided to run for city council in her hometown of Osawatomie this winter, she had just launched GenOZ, a nonprofit dedicated to youth development, and felt she couldn’t stand idly by when the community had “major deficiencies.” The time had come for this 26-year-old marketing consultant to take action on the things she cared about.
Jade Piros de Carvalho, a Hutchinson businesswoman in her mid-30s, cared about Hutchinson’s housing problems, including vacant properties driving down home values, particularly in older, lower income neighborhoods.
“I thought about my dreams,” she says. “I have a 2-year old niece. I want her to have it better than I did.” Michelle De La Isla, executive director of Topeka’s Habitat for Humanity, had been actively engaged in downtown revitalization efforts before she decided to run for city council. She saw an opportunity to enlarge her efforts to revitalize Topeka.
Many, including Piros de Carvalho, thought the city should spend more money demolishing vacant buildings. Others worried that this would reduce the availability of low-income housing and drive out older, poorer Hutchinson residents. Building a positive 49.
The scrutiny that accompanies public service intimidates many. For Piros de Carvalho, fears about facing older male rivals emerged early during the campaign process.
inflammatory story about her opponent, she fought her instincts. While she didn’t want a bad impression of her in the community, her commitment to changing Osawatomie’s path from “Band-Aid fixes” to “longterm, sustainable solutions” prompted her to act in ways that made her uncomfortable, addressing accusations head-on with tact instead of avoiding them.
During coffee-shop talks with constituents and doorto-door treks during a cold and snowy February, she was surprised to learn that her youth wasn’t a disadvantage. It was encouraging to older residents.
Vulnerability is part of public life, says De La Isla. People fear their flaws being the focus instead of their contributions, but a positive perspective can keep this worry at bay.
“They saw I wanted to serve the community,” Piros de Carvalho says. “I don’t have children. I wasn’t married until 2 years ago, so the community was my baby.”
For example, Piros de Carvalho was accused of being young and inexperienced. But, “it’s just as bad to be old and inexperienced,” she notes. Angry, “irrational” messages from constituents are part of De La Isla’s daily life. Learning to manage her emotional responses allows her to listen with compassion and understanding instead of frustration. Concentrating on the broader goals of public service helps prevent negative situations from becoming distractions.
For Piros de Carvalho, Martin and De La Isla, public service was a logical extension of the community work they were already pursuing.
Piros de Carvalho views Hutchinson as facing “deep adaptive problems” that she is uniquely positioned to understand and energize people around. These are issues that cannot be solved only by channeling money or votes toward an issue.
While public opinion is no mere figment of the imagination, expectations – of progress, of improvement, of perfection – can hold people back from participating in public service. Often, internal expectations can be powerful hindrances to making progress on important community issues.
Rather than focus on a technical solution – demolishing vacant properties – Piros de Carvalho emphasizes engaging community organizers on the topic of Hutchinson’s housing challenge and working to understand and improve the systemic effects that have produced a proliferation of crime-ridden, failing buildings.
"Life doesn't have to be perfect," De La Isla emphasizes, speaking from firsthand experience, having dealt with challenges related to her teenage son. He was recently cleared to return home after being placed in foster care nearly three years ago. He had suffered abuse and, despite more than a decade of intensive therapy, still struggled with some severe behavior issues. The time in foster care helped ensure the safety of De La Isla’s two young daughters.
It’s an exciting opportunity but not one without risk. She worries about the day she’ll have to make an unpopular decision. “Will a vote on an issue lead me to lose friends or clients? It hasn’t happened yet, but it will,” she says.
"I think a lot of people in a situation like mine would be terrified about exposing their children to the public," she says, but feels it's important to share this painful topic if it helps others.
ENSNARED BY EXPECTATIONS In a small town like Osawatomie, Martin says she battles community expectations daily.
De La Isla continues to work with her son and champion mental health rights.
“If I falter, everyone will know about it,” she says. “It will impact how people view me, impact whatever I try to do [in the community]. It is an incredible amount of pressure.”
"I know how hard it is to be in a leadership position. The biggest thing that holds you back is fear," she says, explaining how she is willing to share what is a painful and frustrating situation for her in the hopes that it will help encourage others to get involved as well.
Character assaults represent another source of heartache. When Martin was dragged into an
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Michelle De La Isla of Topeka works on a Habitat for Humanity home being built in her community. Her desire to serve on the Topeka City Council is an extension of her interest in revitalizing Topeka and its downtown area.
“Just do it. A lot of people feel so consumed with thinking they have to be powerful and have their stuff together before they do anything. Just do it.� MICHELLE DE LA ISLA
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“If I falter, everyone will know about it. It will impact how people view me, impact whatever I try to do [in the community]. It is an incredible amount of pressure.” AMANDA MARTIN
Amanda Martin of Osawatomie throws candy to children as she rides on the city council float at the annual John Brown Jamboree and Music festival parade. Martin, a marketing consultant, wants to help her community move from “Bandaid fixes” to “long-term, sustainable solutions.”
When issues, like the housing problems in Hutchinson that propelled Piros de Carvalho onto the city council, are long-term, adaptive challenges, a two-year city council term has limited impact on problems that were generations in the making. This doesn’t discourage her. “As someone who plans to stay here for many years, I have a vested interest in serving the community and making it into the kind of place I want to stay,” she says. “Why wait for my golden years [to get involved]?” Celebrating small successes can rekindle motivation. Just by hosting monthly discussions with community members, Piros de Carvalho acknowledges she’s already made a difference in Hutchinson by making the city council more accessible.
key role in the local young professionals organization in order to devote more time to Hutchinson as a city council member. The short-term sacrifices have been worthwhile, she says. “I want to inspire people my age to step up and get involved,” Piros de Carvalho says. Whether it’s rising at 4:30 a.m. every day to steal a few quiet hours of meditation like Martin does, baking cookies or hitting the pavement to run out frustration, keeping personal batteries charged is imperative. Leaning on trusted support networks for guidance is another way to deal with the stress of handling high expectations.
In Topeka, De La Isla feels support as well.
“You can literally crack under pressure,” Martin says.
“There are tons of people who are very excited to see somebody young and working in the community at a grassroots level to make the community a better place,” she says.
“It’s not good for yourself, not good for the community, not good for what you’re trying to do.” Bouncing difficult problems off a mentor has helped her deal with new situations.
TIME FOR SERVICE The significant time investment of public service requires a difficult balancing act with so many other responsibilities on the line. The pressure for young people to work long hours to establish themselves in their careers can be immense, Piros de Carvalho says.
Yet, seeing more young people involved in civic life is something all three women yearn for. There should be more young people in public life, Piros de Carvalho believes, but she knows elected office isn’t the right fit for everyone. “Figure out what you’re passionate about and channel your energy into giving back through that channel,” she says.
The typical work week for De La Isla averages 90 hours of combined community and career commitments.
There is no time like the present, De La Isla says.
Tight schedules can mean that personal commitments take a backseat. Vacation seems like a distant memory to Martin. Passion for her work makes it difficult to step away, but “burnout is a real possibility.”
“Just do it,” she says. “A lot of people feel so consumed with thinking they have to be powerful and have their stuff together before they do anything. Just do it.”
De La Isla has responded to increased demands on her time by building more structure into her personal life to protect family time.
For these three women, their involvement in public service reflects a passion for their communities founded on a deep belief in the imperative of community service.
“Sundays are off limits,” she says, even for church, which she now attends on Saturday instead. Acknowledging personal constraints has been important for Piros de Carvalho, who has cut in half the number of boards on which she serves, scaled back yoga classes and even relinquished a cherished
If more young people who care about what happens find the strength to lend their hands and voices to their communities, it’s hard to imagine that more progress will not be attainable. While public service is laden with sacrifices, the sacrifices that may result from doing nothing might bear a higher cost.
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7 TIPS FOR B EC OMING A
HIGH IMPACT YOUNG PROFES S IONA L IN C IV IC LIFE
1
Think carefully about how your PASSIONS and PERSPECTIVE can benefit your community and channel your energies there.
2
VULNERABILITY is a part of participating in public life. Be prepared to face scrutiny and uncomfortable situations.
3
Keep your FOCUS on public service goals that you care about most and that ENERGIZE you.
4
Don’t let INTERNAL EXPECTATIONS stand in your way. There’s never a “perfect” time to serve your community.
5
Running for ELECTED OFFICE might be a way of helping make a difference, but it’s far from the only way to serve your community. You have to choose the RIGHT OPPORTUNITY for you.
6
CELEBRATE small success to keep yourself energized.
7
Take the time to MAINTAIN BALANCE in your life, seek out mentors and be willing to acknowledge your own limits.
b u i ldi ng
b lo c ks
PARTICIPANTS IN LAWRENCE’S COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM LOOK TO PLAY A KEY ROLE IN SHAPING THE CITY AS IT FACES A NEW GENERATION OF CHALLENGES By Brian Whepley
Mass Street in Lawrence at night is a busy place with restaurants and bars open that create a lively downtown. Participants in the Leadership Lawrence community leadership program have played key roles in keeping the community vibrant.
Lawrence, Douglas County and planning commissioners. A brewpub owner. The United Way chief executive. Parks and recreation advisory board members. Overseers of the local food bank and other nonprofits. Insurance agents, lawyers, a writer and graphic artist, bankers, teachers, police officers and architects. All are members of classes of Leadership Lawrence, which has turned out more than 700 graduates since its creation in 1982, not counting nearly 40 more now going through the program as the class of 2014.
But can a community leadership program really shape a community’s future? “Yes,” is the answer that lies behind Leadership Lawrence’s efforts. But Lawrence residents are in the process of learning just how much of a change agent the program can be as they grapple with challenges that would have been unheard of in the vibrant community 20 or 30 years ago. Lawrence is home, of course, to the University of Kansas, the largest employer in the city of nearly 90,000, and to Haskell Indian Nations University as well. Sometimes seen as an anomaly in largely conservative Kansas, the city, depending on one’s political stance, has been viewed as progressive, liberal, even “Moscow on the Kaw.” It’s home to diverse and vocal opinions.
The program, like many, originally formed to encourage residents to run for office. But now it centers on encouraging civic engagement more broadly. “We support and believe in [encouraging runs for elected office], but we also believe that serving on boards and serving through volunteerism are very important,” says Sue Hack, executive director of the program sponsored by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. “I don’t think there is a board or organization that hasn’t had someone from Leadership Lawrence playing an active role.”
Some members of Leadership Lawrence classes took part hoping to learn more about how their community could have better, more civil conversations about issues. Others saw it as professional development or an opportunity to network. Many, already involved in community activities, saw an opportunity to engage with others equally committed to improving their city.
Leadership Lawrence is one of about 50 community leadership programs that operate throughout the state and serve individuals from cities, counties and sometimes even entire regions. At a time when the challenges facing Kansas communities often seem especially daunting, they represent an important way to increase the number of people who can bring about positive change in an area.
“There weren’t 37 people who thought the same way at all,” says Jeremy Farmer, a class of 2012 member and city commissioner who recounts how he, chief executive officer of Just Food, a food bank, and a fellow classmate, a lawyer, bonded despite political differences. “My common ground with him is leadership, not whether there was an R or D in front of your name.”
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Sue Hack, executive director of Leadership Lawrence, reads during the Fall 2013 Kansas Community Leadership Initiative Summit at KLC in Wichita. Her program has turned out more than 700 graduates since its creation in 1982, not counting the nearly 40 people in the 2014 class. Dan Simon, of Leadership Lawrence, speaks during large-group session at the KCLI Summit. Leadership Lawrence is one of about 50 community leadership programs that operate throughout Kansas. Erika Dvorske, a 2010 alumna of Leadership Lawrence, talks with a woman during the United Way’s Great Start Pack, a volunteer program to assemble meals and provide education on cooking. Leadership Lawrence was founded with the idea to encourage residents to run for office but now encourages civic leadership more broadly. Matt Llewellyn of Leadership Lawrence, participates in last fall’s KCLI Summit.
“If we look at the people involved in the community, Leadership Lawrence has been transformational,” Farmer says. “It’s a big funnel for people to come out on the other side and be better, faster and stronger in exercising more effective leadership.”
PURSUING PASSIONS AND BETTER DIALOGUE Surveys reveal about six in seven Leadership Lawrence graduates are involved in some type of community service, nearly half have worked on political campaigns and one in six have run for office, Hack says. Those are numbers that hint at the level of civic engagement that participation in the community leadership program encourages. Yet other numbers illustrate some leadership challenges facing Lawrence. Thirty-six percent of city students qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches, a benchmark of poverty. And Lawrence ranked second to last in economic performance among U.S. small metro areas in a ranking released last year. That’s far removed from the 1980s, when Lawrence was one of the country’s fastest growing areas. How Lawrence should grow while keeping its best assets intact has been a debate the community has wrestled with for more than a decade. Although the poor ranking was from just one study, the numbers caught the attention of some in the community, particularly with college-town rival Manhattan seeing
enough growth to be ranked one of the nation’s fastest growing metro areas by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ranking prompted the local newspaper to ask whether Lawrence has lost a step. With economic development a much-discussed issue, leadership alums have played roles in publicprivate efforts to build a recreation complex in northwest Lawrence and to develop a college and career center in the community. Some helped form CadreLawrence, a group providing a forum for “conversation about creating jobs, shifting the tax base off of residents and providing balanced and objective feedback to our elected officials.” Patrick Kelly, a class of 2005 alum, a member of the city-county planning commission and director of career and technical education for Lawrence Public Schools, is involved in the college and career center. “We do not have a community college or technical college here, and that’s a challenge,” he says. “There’s been a huge shift in how we prepare students and adults for jobs. We need to do it really fast. How do we handle that change?” About five years ago, Kelly recommitted himself to learning and internalizing leadership principles, having reached a turning point when he noted a good deal of uncivil discourse involving school closings. He’s used the principles in his work. Soon after touring different job training programs in Overland Park, “we sat down with some of the teachers that went and with some of their peers
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“if we look at the PeoPle involv lawRence has been tRansfoRma PeoPle to come out on the oth and stRongeR in exeRcising moR
The Bowersock Dam on the Kansas River in downtown Lawrence.
ed in the community, leadeRshiP ational. it’s a big funnel foR eR side and be betteR, fasteR Re effective leadeRshiP.”
that did not go. Some of this is a little bit threatening, because it’s a change in the way we do business. In the past, I think I would have stood up there and explained why this is so great. Instead, I kicked it off with, ‘What did you think?’ And let them do the talking. The progress we made in one hour was more progress than we would have made in a semester. It was allowing those stakeholders to make their own conclusions and to hear from their peers instead of an authority figure. That’s a valuable lesson: If this is a good thing, then I shouldn’t have to sell it. It should sell itself.”
TRANSFORMING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS The rec center development process shaped Dawson. “I became a much better listener than I ever was before, paying more attention to what the concerns were rather than just combatting a viewpoint,” she says. “It became a strategy for incorporating, rather than just trying to win.” Hack sees additional transformations. “I can watch him working on managing self and intervening skillfully,” she says of Farmer, a commissioner since June. “Sometimes it’s really hard just not to blow, because you so fundamentally disagree with someone or something. I have seen it on several of the boards.”
The center is a cooperative effort with the Chamber of Commerce, pairing the district’s student training with an adult program planned by the chamber. That makes “getting people comfortable with partnerships” one of the challenges, Kelly says. The recreation complex also involves public and private partners, with the city developing multiple gyms and other features and a private developer building soccer, softball and track and field stadiums for use by the University of Kansas. The city expects to spend $22.5 million for its share, and has granted tax abatements to the developer.
“It’s always in the back of your head, similar to the quadratic equation or the Pythagorean theorem or the capitals of the U.S.,” Farmer says of civic leadership principles. “You may not take it out of the toolbox every time, but it’s there.” The United Way of Douglas County is an organization that’s changed under the guidance of Leadership Lawrence graduates. Erika Dvorske, president and CEO since 2008, sees its role as community organizer instead of just fundraiser.
“Over the past few years, I facilitated between 10 and 12 community meetings where we gathered community input and looked at the concerns that were out there,” says Jana Dawson, a 2006 Leadership Lawrence grad. Two other alums, Kevin Loos and Joe Caldwell, also are on the parks and recreation advisory board.
The organization chose to focus on three areas – education, self-sufficiency and health – and work and fund accordingly. Instead of a process where organizations marched one by one before the United Way seeking money every year, its partner organizations now regularly come together to meet with the United Way team. That way, unified goals and plans can be formulated.
“We navigated through years of community comment and really came out with something that’s going to be a great asset to our community,” Dawson says. “There are still dissenters. There are always people who are going to be opposed to a project, particularly one of this magnitude, but I feel confident in the fact that we went through all the steps to gain community input before moving forward.”
“What we said was the most important thing was that we are working together and have common goals,” Dvorske says. “What this has meant is that some organizations that say, ‘We have this one thing we do and need the money,’ they’ve walked away. Other partners have joined the conversation. Some of the partners have changed, not dramatically, but some have changed.”
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Julian West, son of Mike West and Katie Euliss, who form the musical duo Truckstop Honeymoon of Lawrence, plays his ukulele with his family at the farmers’ market in downtown Lawrence.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: International students march in the University of Kansas homecoming parade on Mass Street; Jeremy Farmer talks with a woman during the United Way’s Great Start Pack, a volunteer program to assemble meals and educate those attending on cooking. Farmer owns and operates Just Food, a Douglas County food bank; The Kansas flag in the Free State Brewing Co. in downtown Lawrence; A gas tank on a Harley Davidson depicting the national championships that KU has won in basketball. The bike belongs to Harry Herington, of Lawrence, and was used in a Toys for Tots run in Lawrence last fall.
“Leadership Lawrence has absolutely informed the way United Way goes about our work, not just because of me but because of a whole lot of people who have been engaged in those conversations and work,” she says.
CHALLENGES OF THE COMMUNITY Leadership Lawrence graduates’ level of engagement is the flipside of one of the challenges: apathy. Having learned how interrelated many issues are and how values come into play – a business development could provide good jobs but also consume farmland that produces local food, for example – alumni must confront the not-so-simple task of helping residents connect the dots.
WHAT A PROGRAM ENTAILS Lawrence’s annual program starts with a retreat in September and ends with graduation in April. One day a month, the class comes together to learn about a specific topic – the arts, education, social services, government, economic development and so on.
“We need leadership in engaging the community. They must realize the future of the community is in their hands,” Farmer says.
Training involves more than walk-throughs. Instead of visiting social service agencies, for example, the class breaks into small groups for an exercise. Dvorske describes one scenario: “Here’s your situation, ‘You are homeless, you are a single mom and your car just broke down? How are you going to deal with that? Come back in two hours.’”
Leadership Lawrence has fostered diversity in many respects but found racial diversity was lacking in its classes. “The best way to get races involved is to ask them,” Kelly says, and the program has done a better job in the past couple of years. The city’s many, deeply felt and voiced perspectives can be a pro and a con. “In the past, people have succumbed to the loudest, negative voice,” says Matt Llewellyn, owner of the 23rd Street Brewery and a class of 2009 member.
“What we’ve found is that people are shocked by how many places they had to go to get the beginning of an answer. There’re a lot of organizations doing good work but aren’t always connected to each other,” Dvorske says.
“It can be mind numbing, but I’m proud to live in a community that has that open dialogue,” says Kelly, noting the challenges in hearing and respectfully listening to many voices.
“I could make this same illustration on the side of economic development. Things always look simple when you have 2 percent of the information. Once I have about 50 percent I am totally befuddled,” she says. “To me, the community leadership program is designed to not oversimplify. Let’s embrace the complexity of the issue and realize there’s no silver bullet.
As the community weighs issues, including growth expected from the completion of the long-disputed South Lawrence Trafficway that will provide another Kansas City-to-Topeka corridor, one thing the city has going for it is the dedication of Leadership Lawrence alums.
“I have probably learned as much participating as an organizer volunteer as I did in the year as a class member,” Dvorske says.
“You can’t go through the program and not have it affect you,” Farmer says. “It ruins you but in a good way.”
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GETTING INVOLVED IN A
community leadeRshiP PRogRam Community leadership programs span the state, about 50 programs in all, and represent one of the most effective ways to help communities collaborate for positive change. The Kansas Leadership Center partners extensively with community leadership programs, providing facilitator training, marketing, evaluation, consulting and curriculum development. KLC also convenes a statewide gathering of community leadership program participants from across the state every year for an intense three-day leadership development experience called the Kansas Community Leadership Initiative Summit. The next Summit is April 2-4. For more information about community leadership programs, please visit www.kansasleadershipcenter.org.
A busy Mass Street after the KU homecoming football game in October 2013.
Restaurants are often full after football and basketball games in Lawrence, and that has helped keep the city’s historic Mass Street vibrant.
pRiming THe pump IF YOU WANT TO TEACH YOUTH LEADERSHIP, YOU HAVE TO GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO TRULY LEAD.
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Students from four Cowley County high schools attend Kids Impact Cowley County, a youthphilanthropy program that teaches leadership, philanthropy and teamwork. It is administered by Southwestern College in Winfield.
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By Lindsay Wilke
is leadership development through philanthropy and service, and the target is young people. The Legacy Regional Community Foundation, Southwestern College and four area high schools have joined forces to collectively build capacity throughout the county through a program called KICC (Kids Impact Cowley County).
I often hear about the need for young people to lead in my rural Kansas community. In civic organizations, churches and communitywide initiatives, the call is always the same: “Why can’t we get some young people in here?” Adults yearn for the energy young people pour into a cause, and the wisdom of age tells us that to make real change, we have to be able to pass the torch to the next generation. Still we struggle. We trick ourselves into believing that young people are apathetic, when really we have simply failed to create meaning for them. Time and time again, adults fail to nurture young persons into roles of authentic power.
The goal of the program is two-fold: Give young people the skills to become better at leadership and provide them with a community arena to put their skills into practice right now.
A great deal of evidence suggests that young people are both capable of leading and eager to lead in their communities. When communities contribute to youth by giving them voice and power, youth give back to their communities. One researcher, Scot D. Evans, puts it this way: “Too often young people get excluded from matters of community yet are expected to behave in ways that are respectful, caring, and responsible to community. …. [Young people] want and need to play a role.”
The program works like this. All county high schools are invited to select a group of students to participate in the program. The high school students take a countywide tour, examine the county strategic plan and needs assessment, and participate in a joint service project. Based on their experiences, the students then create a request for grant proposals that they distribute to groups within their high schools. High school organizations apply for grants from the board, and the students determine a grant winner, host awards ceremonies and discuss grant reporting measures. They follow the grant cycle to completion.
To put it into Kansas Leadership Center language, young people are a set of “unusual voices” often absent from the table. Many organizations value young people and contribute to a myriad of programs to help them, but few partnerships exist to give youth authentic power and ownership in community matters. Hand over your budget to young people? No way – their lack of experience might lead them to squander precious resources. Let young people plan a major community event? We’re not so sure about that – what if it fails? Ask a young person to sit on your board? We might have to arrange transportation and meet at inconvenient hours. A different kind of leadership development is needed if we are going to nurture young people capable of making change on the challenges facing our communities. It’s time to raise the heat. There is a creative communitywide collaboration taking place in Cowley County that is trying something different. The method of choice for this partnership
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Determining the grant award winners requires exercising a host of leadership competencies in tandem. Students learn right away that leadership is hard business. They are literally forced to choose among competing values (every application can appear worthy) and to work across factions. They battle the “everyone is a winner mentality” and discuss their instincts to allocate partial funding to all applications, inevitably realizing that this would put a damper on the power of their grant awards and only focus on “short-term” fixes. They discuss feasibility, sustainability and impact. They speak from the heart and speak to loss. The process is powerful.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Students stand and introduce themselves at the beginning of the program, which allows young people to discover ways they might impact the lives of others in their communities; Dayton June of Udall kisses a plaque honoring the Jinx, the college’s black cat mascot, in front of the administration building. The mascot is a tradition that dates back to the college’s early 20th Century football games; Lindsay Wilke, assistant director of Leadership Southwestern, gives instructions to the students attending the KICC program in Winfield.
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Total # of high school students to pass through KICC
Total # of high school students to pass through kiCC in the past two years with the addition of the new program changes:
College students provided with a paid internship via the program: 17
50 2011-2012:
$43,000
2012-2013:
Total amount of grant funding distributed via Legacy Foundation into the Community since 2003
pre-2011:
61 18 32
Cowley County communities represented in the partnership: WINFIELD • ARKANSAS CITY • BURDEN • CAMBRIDGE • ATLANTA • UDALL
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6
Number of Community Members involved in KICC INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:
Legacy Foundation Staff • Legacy Foundation Board Southwestern College Faculty and Staff • Partner school teachers and staff Southwestern College Philanthropy Board Sponsors and adults associated with the grant award winners
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The choices the students face at that grant table mirror decisions they will face again and again throughout their lives as engaged citizens. The students at the decision table are often a part of the groups applying for the grant money. One application specifically came from a school student council, and two students helping to make the decision served on that student council. One of the most inspiring elements of this situation is that young people are quick to realize they are part of the mess. Unlike adults, who oftentimes try to advocate for their own interests, students are often most critical on the applications from groups that they are involved with. They ask the hardest questions about those applications. They recognize their defaults and triggers and make a point to listen to others instead of talk. It truly is refreshing to watch them create trustworthy dialogue and come to consensus. The unique element of this partnership is that the young people in this equation are given real power. Student interns from the leadership program at Southwestern College facilitate the events, and students from the Southwestern College Philanthropy Board serve as the educators throughout the grant cycle. The Legacy Foundation provides a stipend for the interns, as well as the grant award money and operational expenses. The foundation’s longstanding relationships in the community enhance the education and add a layer of adult coaching that improves the process.
Cooper Dennett of Central High School leads a group exercise before program participants leave on a tour of Cowley County earlier this year. The group’s experience included stops in Udall, Burden, Ark City and Winfield, as well as lunch from Paddlefoot BBQ at Quail Valley Farms near Winfield.
Ultimately, however, it is the students who decide how the funds are spent and what matters. Young people engaged in grassroots efforts to better their communities often have multiple opportunities to seek funding but rarely have the resources to be the providers of the funds. The Cowley County program flips this paradigm on its head and asks the youth to sit in the position of power. Lessons in credibility and responsible stewardship are learned in the process. The road hasn’t always been easy. All leadership experiments face an array of challenges, and this program is no exception. In its decade of existence, KICC has struggled with participation from the smaller, mostly rural county communities. Resources are scarce in these communities, and the travel distance to them is greater. The newest program structure described throughout this article is the first variation of the program that attempts to rotate the location of the meetings and bring KICC to each school’s “home turf” at least once. Not only does this equalize travel burdens, but it also instills within the students an awareness about other parts of their county. This new structure has been tested the past two years and has managed to involve three times as many high school students as past efforts, with more than half of the student participation coming from the smallest communities.
these efforts will make an impact, but progress is always a hard-won battle.
If involving a variety of schools and communities is one issue, then reaching a diversity of students within each community is an even deeper struggle. The program strives to reach a variety of high school students, including those not always labeled as the “traditional leaders.” At the smaller rural high schools, the students often wear many hats, singing in the choir, playing on the field and traveling to KICC events. The same students are recognized and asked to participate over and over again, and leadership training fails to reach beyond a few individuals.
Over the past decade, high school and college students have awarded more than $40,000 to local organizations serving youth. The primary strengths of the program are that it is local, is tied into larger countywide efforts and is an effective partnership for all involved. Research indicates that leadership development efforts grounded in action learning and a local context pack a unique transformative power. The dynamic collaboration in Cowley County is allowing youth and adults to experience the power of sharing financial resources and working together on adaptive challenges. Further, by investing in the leadership development of young people, adults are confident that they are instilling community connections in youth that will transcend beyond the program. When asked what they gained from KICC that was valuable to them, KICC participants positively.
Steps have been taken to address this issue. The biggest success has been finding a teacher in each of the participating high schools who is a champion of leadership development for all students (anyone can lead) and who believes in authentic youth engagement. The Cowley model allows the teachers to choose the student KICC participants, and many have reached beyond typical boundaries, bypassing notable groups such as student council in favor of representatives from work ethic and leadership courses. The results have been marked. New faces and more faces are showing up at the table. Further, since all KICC programming takes place during the normal school day, transportation and a lack of personal resources have ceased to become major barriers. Strides are being made on this challenge.
“KICC showed me how much of an impact a few teenagers can have on a community.” ~Cooper
“I learned new ways to exhibit leadership within my school, community and county. I also have met new people from other schools and organizations, which will help me.”
Grant reporting and evaluation are the least glamorous components of the program and are often hard to implement. The truth is that the academic schedule does not fit neatly or realistically into community life. Therefore, grant reporting and follow-up measures are a continual struggle for the program. Once the high school students host their award ceremonies, they leave for the summer and thoughts of following up with grant recipients for feedback are far from their minds.
~Zach
“I have gained leader[ship] skills as well as [learned how] to identify needs in our community.”
Perhaps most important, the program is lacking a quantitative evaluation method. Like so many other forms of community programming, the program must find a way to assess the outcomes of the program if it hopes to grow and continue to attract funding. Success for the program includes three major components; 1) an awareness of county needs, assets and networks, 2) participant development of an individual and collective leadership model, and 3) combining county assets, networks and leadership models to address community needs. The program has undertaken yet another experiment that speeds the program up to allow more time for reporting and pilots a pre-post evaluation in an attempt to measure the three areas of success outlined above. We hope
~Madison
Cowley County is hopeful that the KICC collaboration is building community capacity. The partnership is attempting to answer the call for young people to lead. It is not always easy or comfortable, but adaptive challenges aren’t supposed to be. Through the program, adults and young people are working together to raise the heat and create positive change in a new way. Lindsay Wilke is the assistant director of Leadership Southwestern at Southwestern College in Winfield. 56. 74. 36.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pam Moore of the Legacy Regional Community Foundation gives instructions to the Cowley County high school students attending a KICC workshop; Tab Beavers of Central High School in Burden participates in a group activity about Cowley County; Students attending the KICC conference listen to Udall Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Hoffman explain the department’s equipment as the students visited the fire station.
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FEATURED ARTIST
WINTER MORNING by bRian hinkle
Brian Hinkle was born in Emporia and has lived in Wichita most of his life. After earning his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Grinnell College in Iowa, he returned to Wichita State University to study painting, finishing his MFA in 1992. Brian has been actively pursuing his art career ever since, teaching art classes and showing and organizing exhibitions for a number of Wichita art galleries, most notably at The Wichita Center for the Arts. And of course, painting.
I like nothing better than to get in my old Jeep and tour the back roads of Kansas. Taking the long way to the Oxford Mill or finding stone bridges in Cowley County, I never have to look far for good scenes to paint. My wife and I recently got lost east of Matfield Green. Even though I had my trusty Gazetteer, I managed to get off my route, four wheeling it across creeks and cattle barriers. But we stumbled across the most beautiful Flint Hills valley tucked back in the middle of nowhere and had the best time. I snapped a ton of pictures and eventually found my way out near Olpe. It was a great day, but I might have to break down and buy a GPS one of these days! The beauty of the Kansas landscape is ephemeral. Outsiders don’t get it, and I am selfishly a little glad. Let’s keep it our little secret, shall we? The beauty of Kansas is found in the space, the changing light, the colors of the changing season and the sky. Blue haze over the Smoky Valley, a moment of brilliant pink in a Kansas sunset, the dew on the grass on a foggy Flint Hills morning. These subjects inspire me. And they lie waiting down every little dirt road I take the time to explore.
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FEATURED POET
FLINT HILLS LULLABY by denise low
“A landscape has its own spirit; it is neither dead nor alive.” THOMAS WESO
My grandparents continue to breathe here. They exist in grasses harrowed by flood. The land is neither dead nor living but a something beyond calculation. White strata collapse into ruins above. Thunderheads tumble empty counties. Arches of grass breathe one chorus. Buried limestone transmute into flint. I am alone and I am caught in lay lines, my place of birth, my continuum of loss. When night brings dark-moon void, may all our bones rest in peace. First published in Thorny Locust
DENISE LOW, second Kansas Poet Laureate, has published 20 books, most recently “Ghost Stories of the New West” (named a Kansas Notable Book of 2011 and a best Native American book of 2010 by The Circle of Minneapolis) and “Natural Theologies: Essays About Literature of the New Middle West” (The Backwaters Press).
She reviews poetry regularly for The Kansas City Star, her own blog and other journals. She has been visiting professor of creative writing at the University of Richmond and the University of Kansas. She taught at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, where she founded the creative writing program. She and her husband, Thomas Weso, co-publish a small literary press, Mammoth Publications, which specializes in Central Plains and Indigenous authors.
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THE BACK PAGE cuPcakes (if you want ‘em)
“The purpose of Konza Clubs is to provide an environment for alumni to continue their learning about civic leadership and to connect with others in their community who have had a similar Kansas Leadership Center experience.” From a wordsmithing perspective, that’s a solid description of why the Kansas Leadership Center created them. Those words are on the new KLC website, so they must be true (!) At KLC, we’re pretty good about naming things with a distinct Kansas connection. Spend some time in the Flint Hills classroom or the Dockum faculty meeting room in the new Kansas Leadership Center & Kansas Health Foundation Conference Center in downtown Wichita, and you’ll see what I mean. (I argued for the “Carry On My Wayward Son” peer consultation room, but, alas...) For those who have been through a KLC experience and want more, it’s all about “providing an environment.” How do you establish Konza Clubs so they’re not just one more obligation for people to feel bad about when they don’t go? The last thing anyone wants is for KLC alums to gather in our name and feel compelled to bring the cupcakes, gavel the club meeting to order, take roll, approve the minutes of the last gathering and all the trappings that get in the way of why you’re there in the first place. I think we call that “understanding the process challenges.”
A community of ideas. There’s a camaraderie, esprit de corps, a sense of purpose centered on the skills and knowledge gained from the Kansas Leadership Center experience. So while it may not be a strict, binding covenant, per se, there is a desire to pull in the same direction for the common good. We saw it happen this fall, when more than two dozen Konza Club champions gathered at KLC to help hang meat on these bones. Those of us who get paid to talk about the Kansas Leadership Center experience are way too close to it to be objective. We’ve seen these ideas work. At the core of every success story is individual talent, commitment and passion. We’ve created the container – provided the environment. As much, or as little, meat (or cupcakes) as desired can be provided. We know it takes time to absorb the KLC theory and mindset before considering behavior change toward an important civic purpose. Konza might just be the avenue to continue learning through rich conversations, challenging each other with interpretations or finding an accountability partner. Maybe it’s just a half-dozen people gathered for lunch or coffee asking three or four tough questions related to KLC ideas. This is the point in a column like this where one might expect to see a call to action or an “ask.” But this is not a plea for Konza Club membership. This is an acknowledgment that when KLC alumni form networks oriented around powerful civic leadership concepts, good things happen. Mike Matson is Director of Innovative and Strategic Communication for the Kansas Leadership Center.
Then what’s a good model? It’s not like Federalism. KLC is not a central governing authority and Konza Clubs are not constituent political units, bound together by covenant. Maybe a better – and much simpler – way to think of it is individual human beings who share a meaningful common experience gathering together. Period.
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"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." – Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
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