NEWS RELEASE

May 30, 2007

Contact: Ryan Entz, 268-1152

Chamber Accepting Nominations for the 25th Anniversary Class of Leadership Wichita

Many of our region’s top business and community leaders have completed Leadership Wichita during its 25-year history.

Wichita, KS - Twenty-five years of transforming the leadership of this community through Leadership Wichita is truly impressive. Recognizing the quality of these leaders is nothing short of inspiring

Now, the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for Leadership Wichita 2007, its 25th anniversary class.

Since the inaugural class completed their Leadership Wichita course in 1983, motivated to use their skills and expertise to build a better community, many of today’s top business and community leaders are positioned among the more than 500 Leadership Wichita alumni.

“The significance of this leadership initiative has truly gone unrecognized,” says Kendal E. Nelson, Chair of the Leadership Wichita Board of Trustees. “While it’s difficult to measure its impact on our community, simply noting the quality and caliber of Leadership Wichita’s participants over the past 25 years genuinely demonstrate its importance to our region.”

The impressive list of Leadership Wichita alumni represents a diversity of people and positions. Participants like those in the inaugural Leadership Wichita class of 1983, including Bill Moore, newly named CEO of Westar Energy, and Paul Allen, chief executive of Allen Gibbs & Houlik L.C.

Leadership Wichita was set in motion by the commitment and inspiration of Fred Berry, Chairman of the Berry Companies, Inc. Berry’s passion and vision for the future leadership of this community was transformed into an annual leadership series that instills a greater depth of understanding among its participants for the community as a whole, enabling them to be more effective and engaged in their area of community interest.

“Community involvement doesn’t happen by accident,” Berry emphasized. “Therefore, it is essential to provide a program that facilitates the engagement of young people in community affairs in a professional way and under organizational leadership.”

Nominations for Leadership Wichita 2007 will be accepted until June 15. Nomination forms can be filled out online at www.wichitachamber.org/leadershipforms, or you can contact the Wichita Metro Chamber at 268-1116 for more information.

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