Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
Crafting Regional Leaders: Inside the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 224
Jack Lindquist, Executive Director of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, shares the 33-year history and impact of this regional leadership initiative. The program builds collaborative relationships across Geary, Riley, Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee, and Morris counties to foster regional problem-solving and create positive change.
• Created 33 years ago through partnership between Fort Riley, Kansas State University, and regional Chambers of Commerce
• Nearly 660 graduates have completed the program since the first class in 1993-94
• Participants develop regional networks and collaborative relationships across diverse communities
• Selection process targets emerging leaders already demonstrating leadership qualities
• Monthly sessions rotate through different communities covering topics like team building, conflict resolution, and advocacy
• Program runs September through February with graduation in Pottawatomie County this year
• Application deadline is July 20th with all materials submitted through frlp.org
• $600 tuition with scholarships available for nonprofit employees and small business owners
Applications for the upcoming class are now being accepted at frlp.org through July 20th.
Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour as heard on NewsRadio KMAN. And we are back on the GMCF Community Hour here on NewsRadio KMAN. And one of our nonprofits we're visiting with today is the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program. We have its executive director joining us via Zoom today. Of our non-profits we're visiting with today is the flint hills regional leadership program. We have its executive director joining us via zoom today and his name is jack lundquist.
Speaker 2:Hello, jack, welcome back great to be with you today, and it's an excellent day to have some sunshine out here. We're doing pretty well, moisture wise that's what I heard.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of places that are doing pretty well moisture wise, but the Flint Hills look phenomenal yeah, that is true, and on my drive down here through Texas got to see a lot of green, which is really nice now, okay, so let's step back just one quick second. You talked about the moisture and how things look great. I really have not had too many harvest reports. What can you tell me about what the lindquist family and their uh uh outreach across the flint hills has been like with wheat harvest?
Speaker 2:well, the flint hills and beyond, especially through the south central part of the state, where wheat harvest should be in full bloom is delayed because of too much rain, and so we have to get some sunshine out here, some heat days to get that dried up. So we actually need some drying off right now.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, let's hope that we can do that, and everybody. We always want to remind folks to be safe and courteous on the roadways when they approach some sort of farm-related vehicle. Well, let's get back here and talk about why you are here today, and that's the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, and this is a venture that has had quite a history, and boy, you've got a lot of highlights to share with us.
Speaker 2:You bet it was created 33 years ago and it was a partnership. You bet it was created 33 years ago and it was a partnership. The original planning team was a partnership between Fort Riley, kansas State University and the Chambers of Commerce and Cities in Gary, riley and Pottawatomie counties. And they realized at that time that they were better with one voice than several and better to promote as a single body rather than multiple entities, and so this collaboration team was put together. They thought, rather than just having an advocacy team, we need to have a training team as well. So they created the leadership program at that time and the first class was the 93-94 class. So technically we are 31 years into that. 33 years ago it was formed.
Speaker 1:And you've had a lot of people that have gained so much insight into our region. You know, and I think one of the great blessings about this organization is the relationships that you build, and those relationships are the springboard for people to get involved and to help basically bring about change and assist others Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Over the years we've had over almost 660 graduates from this region and that region has also expanded recently 160 graduates from this region, and the region has also expanded recently. But the most common benefit gain from the participants is proclaimed to be the ability to develop a regional network and collaborative relationships where they can get together with different, diverse communities and come up with some common solutions to solve problems and to come up with the vision for the future, and so it fosters a deeper understanding of the regional interdependence and enhancing their ability to drive positive change, and that's one of the reasons why we've also expanded is to get a more open view of the rural part of our region as well.
Speaker 1:I think one of the interesting aspects is the qualification process that you have to go through in order to determine who your candidates are to become part of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program. So can you give us a little picture of what that process is like?
Speaker 2:Sure, the individuals we help are emerging leaders in the region. They've already been involved in some leadership roles and they need to be able to express, through their experiences and their willingness to be involved as servant leaders, to get more engaged in the future, and so we concentrate on people that either live or work in Gary Morris, pottawatomie, riley and Wabunsa County, fort Riley. And since they can live or work in, we do have participants that have been from Clay County, dickinson County. They commute to work and obviously they are contributing to our regional lives and livelihoods, so they're able to be part of the program as well, and so they need to go through an application process. It is competitive and we make a selection based on what's best for this region and what makes the best mix.
Speaker 1:How many candidates actually quote, unquote, make the cut.
Speaker 2:Well, let's just say that it's very disappointing to a lot of people to not make it into a class, but we've gone through different sizes of the group. During COVID we backed it down to right, sizing it at 20 so that we could do better spacing and could do better transportation. No-transcript.
Speaker 1:And with that determination, once you determine who those candidates are that are going to be within the program, there's a lot of activities that they get to participate in. You do a lot of monthly things.
Speaker 2:That's right. Starting in September. It starts pretty quickly after they're announced to the public in late August and two weeks later they're heavily engrossed in team building activities at Rock Springs. And then, every three weeks after that, they're in each of our host communities and they're going through the experiences, including team building, conflict resolution, decision making, competence building and effective communication skills, with issues that apply directly to those locations, so they have a greater understanding of the entire region and can speak on behalf of and be advocates for any entity within the region and rely on one another for expertise.
Speaker 1:So what's our first event associated with the class once it's announced who the members are?
Speaker 2:Well, it's really fun right now, as the applications are coming in, to see this class taking shape, because we know as they come in, that they're qualified. They'd be great selections. How do they fit into the mix of candidates representing different forms of government, the emts, the police departments, individuals that are involved in the businesses, the non-profit organizations, how they're all going to meld together to make this group that's going to be engaged in a session at Junction City on community collaboration in Wamego, talking about advocacy in Waubonsie County, being involved in visioning at Kansas State University. When we get into servant leadership activities, fort Riley Entrepreneurship is in Manhattan and Riley County and political literacy is in Topeka. So they're getting a wealth of knowledge and information very quickly and it's wrapped up by the first week of February.
Speaker 1:And let's talk a bit about that application process. I know in the past that you've had some paperwork that everybody has to fill out, but also you added a video component.
Speaker 2:Well, the beauty of technology now is that it's 100% online. Now they can go on to our website, frlporg, and check the dates of the sessions, lock those into their calendars before they even apply, Then go through the application process in the apply menu section, upload a portrait image of themselves for an in-class directory and then upload a prerecorded one to three minute introduction of themselves and how they're going to benefit from the experience and how they hope to bring benefit to the others in the class. Once all of that is uploaded and we have a chance for the board to go through and screen that group, they'll make the selections of the class members, We'll notify them within the next week and then three weeks later we have a public announcement of who the class members are. They start training immediately because we send them the information and the study materials just as quick as they're named.
Speaker 1:And one of the things that I think is important to share with our listeners is that you know if you are applying for this, it's expected that you're able to attend all of these various seminars that you have.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, and we've had situations where an individual, because of a work requirement, has unexpectedly had to miss a session. They are distraught when that happens because they miss out on the opportunity to interact with one another. We don't collect and save the information and send it out with them, because the interaction is the most critical part of the program and so they are. They feel extremely bad about missing it and it's just very important to have that session interaction each time with their classmates, and so we don't have much of a problem with absenteeism. The individuals that do miss regret it, and the ones that are there the whole times, they form a bond that is lifelong.
Speaker 1:So what's our deadline for people to get their application done?
Speaker 2:The end of the application period is July 20th, so by the time we get to the end of the day on the 20th, we close the books, close the application link on the website and those that didn't make it in time have to wait for another opportunity in the future.
Speaker 1:And graduation is.
Speaker 2:Graduation is going to be the first week of February and that's a big celebration. It is, and this year the host county is Pottawatomie County. We're going to be having the class announcement as well as the class graduation at the Columbian Theater.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:That's a pretty good place to have something like that. It rotates, each each class each year is in a different location, so our hosts really put on a great experience for the participants through the training activities as well as at the graduation events, and we had some just incredible events when we do those, and fantastic speakers.
Speaker 1:One of the things also that I think we probably ought to ask is about the financial aspect, and there is a fee that goes along with that application, but in the past and I hope that this is still the case that you have a scholarship, and I believe that was named after a previous executive director.
Speaker 2:Eileen Cray was the director prior to me, and we set up an account for alumni to pay what we call annual dues, but technically it's a donation and the alumni contribute to a fund, and those funds are used to expend back out to individuals that are working for non-profits that don't have the funding available for continuing education or professional improvement or, um, the they might be for a small business owner that just lacks the funds. It's's a tuition fee of $600 generally, and so if we can get a scholarship at up to 50%, that helps a great deal, and the participant still has some skin in the game at a 50% rate, but it helps tremendously to be able to have 50% of that covered.
Speaker 1:No kidding. Well, when we have so many people that are working in the nonprofit world, as many of our GMCF friends and extended family do, all that is certainly very helpful.
Speaker 2:Anything else you'd like to add, jack, the one thing that I think that we need to emphasize is that, because of the broad mix of participation that we have, it's important to understand it takes that kind of a mix to run our communities, and so if people come in with an open mind and are willing to learn and grow, those are the people that we're looking for. They want to be part of the team and they're going to be helping one another for the rest of their lives.
Speaker 1:All right. The website again is frlporg. That stands for Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program. The guest here speaking today is Jack Lindquist. He's the executive director of the program and, jack, it's always a pleasure to have you on the GMCF Radio Hour. Well, thank you very much. Appreciate the invitation.
Speaker 1:Next we'll be visiting with Vicki James, who's the coordinator for the Food and Farm Council of Riley County and the City of Manhattan. She'll be joining us here shortly. And just a reminder if you ever want to find out more about what's happening at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, we've got a website for that and that is mcfksorg. Got all kinds of details and opportunities for you to learn different things about what we're doing and maybe get involved in some of the non-profits that are associated with the foundation. We'll be back with Vicki James in just a moment here on News Radio KMAN.