Tammy Allen on what differentiates Leadership Wichita from other programs

tags: Leadership Wichita, Leadership programs

Posted by: Angie Prather on Monday, May 16, 2016

Nominations for the Chamber’s 2016 Leadership Wichita class opened today. Three Leadership Wichita graduates are answering questions about the program this week on the Chamber’s blog. Tammy Allen, a 1999 Leadership Wichita graduate, is our first guest blogger.

Tammy Allen is the
V.P. of Marketing & Communications for
Allen, Gibbs & Houlik, LC
and a 1999 Leadership Wichita graduate. Who is the ideal nominee for Leadership Wichita? Anyone who wants a broader AND deeper view of and role in our community would be a great fit for Leadership Wichita. It's like getting the inside view of what makes our region work. Think about people you know who have a true passion for Wichita and who want to learn and get insight directly from business and government leaders about the community’s success. Think about people who have already stepped into community volunteer or leadership roles. Are they willing to focus their energy and talents to help push our community to grow and improve? If so, we need them in the next Leadership Wichita class. Nominate them by June 10 and urge them to complete the application form by June 22.

Why should I nominate someone for the 2016 Leadership Wichita class? Two reasons: The community wins and the Leadership Wichita class members win. Leadership Wichita is one of the ways we grow future community leaders and help ensure our community’s success. Connecting energetic and committed leaders to others who share their passion and to more experienced regional leaders paves the way to helping people understand how economic growth and community advancement happens. We need to constantly grow the network of experienced leaders who understand how to collaborate to resolve issues and make change and growth possible. In return for their role in Leadership Wichita, class members grow their network, learn new skills, and deepen their understanding of Wichita's challenges as well as the initiatives to solve them. They’ll graduate with a clearer focus on how and where their volunteer efforts can contribute to Wichita’s success.

How does Leadership Wichita differ from other leadership programs?Interactivity – In Leadership Wichita, it's not just a classroom lecture. Great speakers and interactive and engaging role-playing help class members learn skills ranging from how to handle a media interview to how to help resolve conflict. For me and for many graduates, the highlight and most eye-opening experience is riding an evening shift with a police officer, sheriff's officer or firefighter to learn what it's really like to be the first person on the scene in an urgent situation -- both the rewards and the challenges of leading during an emergency. Involvement – Class members get an up close and personal perspective from leaders in enforcement agencies, government, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and businesses who are committed to exchanging ideas and information with our classes. These leaders are personally involved and dedicate time to this program because they enjoy the idea and information exchange. Network – More than 750 business, community, government, education and military leaders have graduated from the program. Leadership Wichita alumni form a large network of area leaders who are committed to improving their region and being a resource for each other. Many of them are now leading Wichita organizations and initiatives. Experience - Leadership Wichita was founded more than 30 years ago; the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce has been training key community and business leaders since 1983.

Watch for more Q&A with Leadership Wichita grads in two more blog posts this week. May 17 - Denise Sherman, a 2003 Leadership Wichita graduate, provides information about the cost and value of the program. May 18 - Tyler Heffron, a graduate of the 2008 Leadership Wichita class, covers session topics and the selection process for the 2016 class. Leadership Wichita nominations are due June 10, and should be submitted electronically. Nominees will then be forwarded an application to complete and submit by June 22.

Posted in Leadership Wichita, Leadership programs