Welcome the 31st Class of Leadership Emporia

The Leadership Emporia Committee has reviewed all the applications for this year’s program and is pleased to announce the 31^st Class of Leadership Emporia.

This year’s class participants and their places of business are listed below.  Please congratulate these new class members and thank their employers when you see them at events, meetings or just around town.

Kurtis Bryan, Candlewood Suites
Cole Cassity, Lyon County State Bank
Jamie Copper, Twelfth Avenue Baptist Church
Colby Dobson, Norfolk Iron & Metal Company
Tiffany Fay, Emporia Public Library
Marc Fusaro. Emporia State University, School of Business
Mallory Greig, BLI Rentals
McKenzie Gulick, Emporia Public Library
Allison Hall, Emporia Floral
Deborah Hanson, Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.
Amber Hausler, Agler & Gaeddert, Chtd.
Kim LoPorto, ESB Financial
Colleen Mitchell, Community Volunteer
Billie Pierce, CrossWinds Counseling & Wellness
Marilyn Renteria, Community National Bank & Trust
Tara Schnakenberg, SOS, Inc.
Rhonda Schwindt, Lyon County Sheriff Department
Zachary Shafer, Lyon County Sheriff Department
Miles Shirk, Emporia State Federal Credit Union
Lori Siebenaler, Emporia Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
Lisa Soller, Lyon County History Center
Brandi Taylor, Individual
Alice Tunks-Jones, BLI Rentals
Dominick Vortherms, Emporia Police Department
Courtney Ward, Edwards Jones
Dacey West, CrossWinds Counseling & Wellness
Jeff Williams, Ek Real Estate

The class will meet for their Opening Retreat on September 20 & 21 in the ValuNet FIBER Smart Room at the Trusler Business Center. Additional sessions will be held October 4, and 18; November 1, 15, and 29. The class will celebrate the completion of the course with a luncheon on Friday, December 7.

Leadership Emporia partners with the Kansas Leadership Center. Through this partnership, participants explore skills and techniques to work with others, across factions, to create an environment for the better; ways of engaging the unusual voices that are often not heard. Participants are challenged to ask and answer tough questions about themselves and our communities. Leadership Emporia provides learning through powerful experiences that provide conceptual frameworks, skills, tools, and ways of being consistent with a more purposeful and collaborative leadership approach.

The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization of 450 area businesses that join forces to accomplish collectively what no one business could do individually. The mission of the Chamber is to be proactive in creating an environment for business and community success. The organization is currently focusing on business advocacy and development, and leadership and membership development.