A Joint Venture of Basehor Chamber of Commerce and Tonganoxie Chamber of Commerce
Southern Leavenworth County Leadership Development 2007 - 2008

In 1990 the Basehor Chamber initiated the Southern Leavenworth County Leadership Development program with the Tonganoxie Chamber of Commerce.  This program has graduated over 250 students, many of them taking leadership roles in the community.

Purpose:

To expose citizens of Leavenwoth County and surrounding areas to the leadership opportunities presented by the growth and development of our communities and to encourage community development.

2007-08 Southern Leavenworth County Leadership Development Capitol – Topeka, Kansas March 12, 2008 FRONT ROW – L-R: Senator Mark Gilstrap, Ashlee Lohman, Pam Dean, James Smith, Susan Guy, Kelly Casey, Governor Sebelius, Kelly Lis, Cindy Dunn SECOND ROW – L-R: Jake Bontrager, Steve Allen, David Zoellner, Katie Fritz, Tonya Barnes, Karen Kane, Sherry Harman BACK ROW – L-R: Doug Smith, Senator Roger Pine, Lloyd Martley, Chad Lough, Shawn Linenberger, Representative Kenny Wilk

2007-08 Southern Leavenworth County Leadership Development Justice Center – Topeka, Kansas March 12, 2008 Seated L to R:  Katie Fritz, Cindy Dunn, Kelly Casey, Chad Lough Standing L to R:  Steve Allen, Kelly Lis, James Smith, Doug Smith, Tonya Barnes, Jake Bontrager, Shawn Linenberger, Sherry Harman, Pam Dean, Karen Kane

Classes: 

Classes deal with the challenges facing our communities in the areas of leadership, education, local government, media affairs, state government and planning economic development. This year classes will be held in Basehor on either the second or third Wednesday as designated. In November students will travel by bus to Leavenworth for an all day class at the Leavenworth County Courthouse. In March, they will travel by bus to the State Capital in Topeka to observe the legislature in action and to meet with our elected representatives in the House and Senate.

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Eligibility:
Persons living or working in the Leavenworth County area, including high school juniors and seniors who are interested in developing their leadership skills and becoming better informed citizens are eligible to participate in the class.

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Summary:
Students will be required to attend 7 of the 8 class sessions. In addition, students will be required to attend 3 outside meetings of a local school board, city council, city or county planning commission, or Leavenworth County Development Corporation meeting. Class discussions, case studies and class participation will be an important part of the program. Monthly classes have been developed by the board members and will be fine-tuned to the interests and activities of the students.

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History:
This is the 17th year of Leavenworth Development in Southern Leavenworth County. Graduates have included mayors, city administrators, city council members, librarians, police officers, firefighters, local business owners and their employees, homemakers and students. It is our goal to prepare interested community citizens for positions of leadership in civic, educational and governmental organizations. The program also permits inter-community networking and fosters healthy business relationships.

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Enrollment:
Enrollment is open to persons from Leavenworth County and surrounding areas and is limited to the first 20 applicants. Applications are available at City Hall in Basehor, Lansing, Linwood and Tonganoxie; the libraries in Basehor, Linwood and Tonganoxie and offices of First State Bank & Trust and Community National Bank in Basehor and Tonganoxie. Your application and the $90.00 tuition fee is due on September 7, 2007 and can be mailed to: SLCLD  P. O. Box 35, Basehor, KS 66007 or turned in at the City Hall in Basehor or Tonganoxie. Several businesses and organizations offer scholarships for their members, which the board encourages.

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Additional Information:
Additional information is available from any board member:

For a printable class registration form: Click Here

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