KU announces Emerging Leaders Academy graduates for Spring 2016 session
LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas Public Management Center is proud to announce the Spring 2016 Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) graduates. The graduation ceremony took place July 6 at the Oread Hotel in Lawrence.
The 45 graduates began their coursework in March and come from various public sector organizations across Kansas and the Kansas City metropolitan area, including government agencies at the local, state and federal levels, and also nonprofit organizations. The Spring 2016 sessions took place in Overland Park and Topeka.
ELA is a program targeted to promising, nonmanagerial staff to help them prepare for leadership roles in their departments and agencies. Participants meet together 10 times over five months, with classes designed to help them hone their skills for positions of increasing responsibility while also growing their effectiveness in their current roles.
“ELA has allowed me access to materials, information and colleagues that I would otherwise not have gotten the chance to explore and meet,” said Brandon Grover of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City. “The insight and relationships that I have formed as a result of this class will stay with me for the rest of my career.”
The classes are designed to help participants learn and enhance skills in leadership, organizational dynamics, communication and career planning to help them identify and achieve their professional goals while equipping them with tools to make even stronger contributions at work. Organizations that invest in sending staff to ELA gain a more prepared and engaged talent pool to draw from as they plan for the future.
“We hear from our graduates and their supervisors that the program re-energizes staff and helps them recognize the unique perspectives and skills they bring to their work,” said Noel Rasor, ELA program manager. “They return to their organizations with a new understanding of how they can contribute to their agencies, both immediately and in the future.”
This is especially important in public organizations as they face increasing numbers of baby boomer retirements and, simultaneously, continued budget constraints that limit hiring. “Departments that can cultivate the talents of their current employees and grow leaders internally are well-positioned to turn those challenges into opportunities,” Rasor said.
The Fall 2016 ELA session begins Sept. 7 with classes offered in the Kansas City area and in Topeka. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 24. For more information or to apply, visit the KU Public Management Center’s website (www.kupmc.org) or contact Noel Rasor at noel@ku.edu or 785-864-6864.
The list of graduates is below:
Kansas
Atchison County
City of Atchison
Jeremiah Barnes, City of Atchison
Douglas County
Lawrence
Melinda Harger, City of Lawrence
Courtney Herron, Cottonwood Inc.
Carrie Hodges, Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Leslie Hudson, University of Kansas
Lesley Owens, University of Kansas
Michelle Spreer, City of Lawrence
Jen Williams, Just Food
Johnson County
Lenexa
Matt Just, City of Lenexa
John Mays, City of Lenexa
Olathe
Marisa Holloway, City of Olathe
Drew Hysell, Johnson County MED-ACT
Kevin Kufeldt, Johnson County Mental Health Center
Diana Parker, Johnson County Government
Holly Phillips, Johnson County Government
Mark Sullivan, Johnson County Government
Prairie Village
James Lamb, Consolidated Fire District #2
Shawnee
Rob MacDougall, Johnson County Mental Health Center
Shawnee County
Topeka
Jeffrey Downing, Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Karli Koci, Shawnee County Sheriff's Office
Harold Louderback, Shawnee County Sheriff's Office
LaToya Martinez, City of Topeka, Utilities Department
Ve'Shawn McCracken, Kansas Neurological Institute
Nicole Elizabeth Merrow, Kansas Neurological Institute
Jerry Monasmith, Topeka Police Department
Glen Virden, Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Wyandotte County
Kansas City
Stasha Beck, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
Brandon Grover, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
Rebecca Haymes, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
Ryan Horvath, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
Amber Huff, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
Ange Stewart, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
Missouri
Jackson County
Buckner
Rita Moore, Johnson County Government
Kansas City
Laurie Abbott, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Will Byers, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Denise Dillard, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Jamie Shank, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Platte County
Kansas City
Heather Bray, City of Kansas City, Missouri, Public Works.