KANSAS CITY TOMORROW - Kansas City Civic Council

KANSAS CITY TOMORROW
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
2015-2016
The Kansas City Tomorrow (KCT) civic engagement program offers an opportunity
and experience not available anywhere else in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
KCT, as a program of The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, is committed to
developing an expanded business leadership cadre that is capable of addressing and solving
challenges facing the greater Kansas City region. To equip and energize new leaders, KCT
provides proven problem-solving tools appropriate to the community’s social and
economic issues. A video about the Kansas City Tomorrow program that was created
several years ago is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQlaKSWJEXw.
KCT is unique in that, within a ten-month framework, it combines:
 A highly-selective recruiting process
 The opportunity to learn from and interact with members of the Civic Council and
many of Kansas City’s most successful business and civic leaders
 A curriculum structured around the Kansas City region’s most pressing current
issues, opportunities, and challenges
 A compact program design that uses a scheduled monthly meeting to the
maximum, and facilitates individual learning and continuous development
between the monthly sessions
 Proactive sessions that focus on issues analysis, decision making, and building
effective community leadership skills
 Multiple opportunities to develop or improve one’s own personal civic
engagement
 Access to multiple community resources and to personal guidance through the
program’s skilled facilitators and Civic Council resources
This year’s program will be broadly based on the Civic Council’s current priorities for
business leadership. Through guest presenters, written case studies and other materials,
the class will explore the multiple decisions and leadership skills involved in particular
situations.
Seeing parts of the community with a fresh perspective, recognizing the continuing
importance of race relations and socio-economic diversity, understanding the crucial role
of “social infrastructure” along with economic development, having a personal grasp of
the meaning of “community,” “regional,” “leadership,” and “social responsibility” are all
ingredients in the recipe for this year’s KCT program.
This is your chance – apply now and seize this unique opportunity!
2015-16 Tuition:
$5,500 – Civic Council members
$6,500 – Non-Civic Council members
KANSAS CITY TOMORROW
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
Participation in the Kansas City Tomorrow program requires a significant commitment
by the participant and a financial investment by the sponsor. Interested individuals
should carefully consider several requirements to determine if the program is a good
match for their interests and personal goals.
 KCT participants should be interested in increasing their personal level of civic
engagement. This may include increased participation in civic organizations or
assuming leadership roles in civic and community organizations with which they are
currently engaged.
 KCT participants should be interested in participating in organizations that are
committed to improving the “public good.” Their interests should extend beyond
organizations from which they have direct benefit, i.e. children’s schools,
homeowner’s association, place of worship, professional associations.
 KCT participants should be interested in roles that extend beyond one-on-one
volunteer opportunities.
 KCT participants must be able to commit significant time to the program.
Participants will be expected to attend 10 full-day monthly sessions. Additionally,
there will be required extracurricular sessions and optional special sessions over the
course of the year, usually one to two hours each, on timely pertinent topics.
Advance reading for each session is also required, averaging 2-3 hours per session.
 KCT participants should enjoy engaging in critical discussions of issues,
opportunities, and challenges facing the Kansas City region.
KANSAS CITY TOMORROW
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Diversity in the Kansas City Tomorrow class leads to richer discussions and experiences
for all KCT class members. Diversity does not refer to just racial diversity; it also
includes gender, non-profit and government executives, entrepreneurs, and small business
owners.
To encourage diversity, a limited number of $2,500 scholarships are available each year.
Each scholarship recipient is expected to provide a one-to-one match with their own
personal or organizational resources to ensure a commitment to the program. The Civic
Council subsidizes the remaining $1,500 as a demonstration of its commitment to
diversity, for a total of $6,500.
Scholarship applicants should include an additional paragraph(s) in the application essay
explaining why he or she is requesting a scholarship, including the circumstances
preventing his/her organization from paying full tuition, what he or she hopes to receive
from participating in Kansas City Tomorrow, and what he or she can uniquely contribute
to the class. Scholarship applicants will be held to the same high admission standards as
all other candidates.
All scholarship requests and awards will be kept confidential.
For more information, please contact Keely Schneider, Civic Council Associate Director,
at (816) 221-2263 or kschneider@kcciviccouncil.org.
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE
FOR 2015-2016 KCT CLASS
Recruitment Kick-Off
Recruitment Packets Distributed to
Civic Council Members
Applications Due
KCT Steering Committee Reviews Applications
& Interviews Applicants
Final Candidates for 2015-2016 KCT Class
Presented to Civic Council
Board of Directors for Approval
Applicants Notified
Orientation for Participants
First Session
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
April–May 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Thursday evening, August 27, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
KANSAS CITY TOMORROW
FACILITATORS
Mary Birch
As Lathrop & Gage’s government relations coordinator and chair of the firm's government relations
practice area, Mary Birch tracks issues and developments that may affect businesses on the local, state,
and national levels, and consults with clients as to how they may participate in the decision-making
process. Ms. Birch also consults with clients who have obstacles in administrative and regulatory affairs.
During her time with the Chamber, Ms. Birch facilitated the government relations efforts for the
organization and its members at the local, regional, state, and federal level. She has established
relationships with elected officials and staff at various levels and worked primarily in the area of strategic
issue management. Ms. Birch has nearly two decades of experience in government relations and
consulting, particularly at the local level. From 1984 to 2002, she served as president of the Overland
Park Chamber of Commerce, where she directed efforts to attract an unprecedented level of business to
the city. During her tenure, 62,000 jobs and 4,000 new companies were created in Overland Park. In
2002, she was named “Johnson Countian of the Year” by Johnson County Community College. Prior to
joining Lathrop & Gage, Ms. Birch served as an independent consultant to local and national chambers of
commerce and other not-for-profit organizations.
Coleen Hernandez
Ms. Hernandez’ thirty-year career has been focused on national and local nonprofit leadership.
Ms. Hernandez recently concluded an eight year commitment to lead the Homeownership Preservation
Foundation (HPF), a national nonprofit whose mission is to guide consumers on the path to sustainable
homeownership and financial stability. Since the onset of the housing crisis, HPF has served at the
request of both Presidents Bush and Obama as the national hotline for foreclosure prevention, counseling
2 million distressed homeowners and helping 1.6 million of them avoid foreclosure. Hernandez and HPF
connected closely to all major financial institutions, ranging from large banks to GSE’s to Wall Street
investors, all of whom funded the $60M annual budget. HPF illustrated the impact which effective
consumer counseling could have on loan performance as well as on the family’s financial stability.
Ms. Hernandez has deep expertise in strategic visioning, planning and execution, board and staff
development, social entrepreneurship and many aspects of affordable housing development.
Prior to HPF, Hernandez was the Executive Director of the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance (KCNA)
for 18 years. Founded by the Civic Council in 1983, KCNA engaged a host of Civic Council members on
its board over the years. KCNA’s mission was to work with grass roots neighborhood leaders to ensure
their communities were safe, strong and stable places where people were proud to live. Aligning the
interests of grass roots leaders with civic leaders led to the passage of a sales tax for public improvement,
on modernizing the street light system and on initiating community policing. KCNA also led the way in
training 15,000 consumers to prepare for homeownership, in creating affordable rental housing for
working poor families, and in comprehensive community development in the Blue Hills neighborhood.
In addition to her executive leadership, Ms. Hernandez has served on the Tenth District Federal Reserve
Bank board from 1993 through 2000, chairing the Audit Committee in 1995. Ms. Hernandez also served
six years as an independent director on the national Fannie Mae Foundation board from 1998 through
2004.
KANSAS CITY TOMORROW
APPLICATION FORM
2015-2016 PROGRAM YEAR
Application deadline: Tuesday, March 31, 2015, 5:00 PM
For more information related to program year and to receive information on
tuition costs and other questions, please call 816-983-2313, or email
kct@kcciviccouncil.org.
Mail application to:
Kansas City Tomorrow
1200 Main Street, Suite 230
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
Or:
E-mail: kct@kcciviccouncil.org
Full Name
__________________________ (Preferred Name) ______________
Company
_______________________________________________________
Job Title
________________________________________________________
Principal work responsibilities __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Business Address:
__________________________________________________________
City __________________________ State _________ Zip __________
Phone ________________________ Fax _________________________
E-mail _____________________________________________________
Cell Number_________________________________________________
*(to be used only for inclement weather notification)
02/03/2015
Administrative Assistant’s Name ________________________________________
Tel. Number ________________ E-Mail Address ___________________________
Home Address:
__________________________________________________________
City __________________________ State _________ Zip __________
Phone ________________________ Fax _________________________
E-mail _____________________________________________________
Age (optional) ________Race or Ethnic Origin (optional) ___________________
Spouse’s Name ___________________________________________________
Education:
School ______________________Degree _________Year ______
School ______________________Degree _________Year ______
School ______________________Degree _________Year ______
Special Skills or Competencies
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
How long have you lived in the Kansas City metro area?
________________________________________________________________
Are you registered to vote?
________________________________________________________________
As far as you can tell at this time, do you intend to remain in the Kansas City metro area
during the next five years?
________________________________________________________________
Do you have the intention and the capability of attending the KCT sessions from August
2015 through June 2016, along with participation in KCT group activities?
Yes _______ No _______
02/03/2015
List in reverse chronological order the community service activities in which you
have participated (e.g., board memberships of not-for-profit organizations, active
participation in civic organizations that address important community needs, running for
political office, taking a leadership role in the political process)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
On a separate piece of paper, in 300 words or less, state why you want to
participate in Kansas City Tomorrow, what you hope to gain from the program
and why you would make a good participant.
PLEASE ATTACH A CURRENT RESUME.
02/03/2015
Applicant’s Commitment: I understand the time commitment and effort required
to participate in this program and the program expectations.
Applicant’s Signature ___________________________Date _____________
************************************************************************************************
Sponsor’s Commitment: I support the above-named individual’s application to
participate in the Kansas City Tomorrow program year for 2015-2016.
Company:
_________________________________________________________________
Civic Council Sponsor Name_________________________________________
Signature (required) _______________________________________________
Title _________________________________________ Date _______________
************************************************************************************************
Applicant’s Immediate Supervisor, (if different than Sponsor):
______________________________________Date________________________
Title ______________________________________________________________
Note: Applications can be submitted by mail, by e-mail to kct@kcciviccouncil.org,
or via fax to (816) 221-2209. For further convenience, an electronic Word file of the
application will be emailed to members and their assistants after the packets are
distributed.
02/03/2015