Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
Flint Hills Regional Leadership on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 263
We follow a leader who connects counties, sectors, and people to turn local needs into regional action. From childcare capacity to urban renewal and Fort Riley immersion, the program shows how networks and context create durable change.
• origins and scope of the regional leadership program
• associate counties and why the bylaws matter
• Fort Riley immersion and workforce context
• alumni impact on childcare and civic boards
• Discovery Center as anchor for Third Street growth
• recruitment dates, eligibility, and application format
• how regional networks amplify local ideas
Applications run May 15 to July 15 at FHRL.org. Check dates, see alumni photos, and apply online. Follow us on Facebook for session photos, livestreams of class announcements, and graduation.
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 News Radio KMAN. And good morning again. Welcome to the GMCF Community Hour here on News Radio KMAN. Jack Lindquist is joining us here for the program today on behalf of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program. And it seems like Jack and I, whenever we get together, we just don't stay focused.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's easy to go back in time and reflect on our time together started in '82. So uh we have lots of stories to share.
SPEAKER_00:We do. We do. And but that's not why we're here. No. But uh Jack and I, um, you know, we had this wonderful rapport with each other and uh great friendship for 45 years almost. Yep. Gosh, that's a long time to know somebody that's still like her. Yeah. But uh yeah, you have uh been in so many different leadership capacities over the years. You know, you came to Manhattan as a 4-H guy. Or started with extension in the past, started with extension in Abilene. That's where we first got together, and then you were in Lawrence, and then you came back here to work in the state office and started uh Carl, Kansas Agricultural Leadership Program. And then after uh you retired from that, you became the director for the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, among other things that you and Lindy have your hands in. Lindy's his wife, by the way.
SPEAKER_01:She's the president of the Flint Hills Volunteer Center uh now. And so uh our board service uh is all over the place in the in the community and outside of the community. So it's great to to give back and to walk the talk.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, no doubt. Well, Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, give me the 30-minute elevator speech about what it is. Well, it in 30 seconds.
SPEAKER_01:Started in 92, 93, it builds uh leaders through collaboration, inclusion, and service to community. Uh so we have had uh 657 graduates from the region. We've expanded the region by two more counties since I've been director. We now include Walbunsey County and Morris County as an associate member. So it includes Gary, Riley, Pottawatomie County, and then those other two counties to include more of the rural Flint Hills in our programming.
SPEAKER_00:What is an associate membership as opposed to, you know, what Riley, Gary, and and Pottawatomie counties.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, our our bylaws uh restrict what counties are participating in the program because we have requests from outside of the area constantly. And we have to sort of draw a line. And Morris County uh continues to be uh a very important part of our regional economy. Uh, as an associate member, they can provide applicants to the program, but they don't have a seat at the table for the board.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. All right. They still get a lot of benefits out of it, and they certainly does too, because they're building leadership. And, you know, you're seeing, gosh, what's happening in Council Grove? And, you know, you even go further south, you know, in Chase County. There's some neat things that are happening there, but it's neat to see how they're embracing the uh the establishment of the Flint Hills as a as a tourist Mecca. That's right. And uh Council Grove has just really got a lot of need synergy going.
SPEAKER_01:There's uh a new generational uh interest in not only sustaining but growing the communities. Yeah. And they're reaching out uh to all of the uh neighboring communities, and they're part of the Flint Hills Regional Council. And so because of that, they have these uh synergistic linkages that help them learn, and that's what we plug into the leadership program is the importance to know more about where we've been, uh, where we're at present, and what we need to make life and livelihood better in this region. Okay. Well, what's in store for the upcoming year? Well, this class uh that we are currently in the 25-26 class has one more session. Uh, this past week we finished the Manhattan-Riley County session. And uh technically we have Topeka in January, and then they graduate February 5th. But because of the federal shutdown, Fort Riley was not able to conduct their session in November. And so we're gonna do that extracurricular. It will be in March after they graduate, and they'll still uh get to do a lot of the things that they were gonna do before, but uh we're waiting until after some of the more wild winter weather has passed us. We hope.
SPEAKER_00:Do you get to go over and blow stuff up?
SPEAKER_01:Uh actually, they uh the class members have been afforded the opportunity to get in simulators from helicopters to uh tanks and Bradleys and things like that, and also experience uh observation live fire demonstrations with the tanks. Oh, what a great experience.
SPEAKER_00:So they that's almost worth the price of a mission in its own right, isn't it?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. They get an immersion into what it's like to have a job either with the civilian support network or and that we do have several class members that work over there. Uh over the years, we've had uh a large number of participants, and Garrison sees the regional program, leadership program as a great training experience for the people that want they want to rise up through their leadership ranks.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. All right. Well, this is um, I mean, there's all kinds of things, you know, you've had some great success stories out of the people that have come through the program. I mean, we've seen a lot of people that have uh gone on to be elected officials on all levels, local, state, et cetera. You've had some that uh I think have run for, you know, federal offices and you know, there and you help establish that sense of community through the work that you're doing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the importance of collaboration is not just in concepts and ideas of what we can do differently, but it's also building networks of support for uh organizations that are are making a difference. And uh a great example was when we uh got to visit and actually we drove past and learned about the Child Development Center. And Natalie Gordon was on the planning board for that. She had uh recently had a uh a couple of uh twin children and needed uh extra support for that uh uh child care. And lo and behold, we didn't have anything, uh, not enough um uh of the system in Manhattan to help people uh that needed the help uh for raising kids and working uh as their their lives required. And so uh she just had this brainstorm along with a number of other people that they needed to come up with this incubator for creating child development services. And it was nice to see from what her experience was back when she was in the class, and her um testimonials and her pleas for people to understand the importance of this coming to fruition and seeing that child development center in presence now is just uh uh make it's very rewarding to see that uh what starts out as just an idea and then spreads, and it's a great concept, it's adopted and it's in place. That means a lot.
SPEAKER_00:I think it's one of the great success stories for community service that we uh that that we haven't just seen here, but you know, on a on a vast basis, because there's you know some organizations that said, hey, we have a need here. Yeah. It's a and and and uh this is you know it's it's it's it's a wonderful thing, but there's more to do.
SPEAKER_01:Right. It's that whole process is something that is um being duplicated, not just regionally, but across the country where they have the same exact need. And other organizations and and other situations are calling for a better response uh to local needs, and those things are being implemented using these skills.
SPEAKER_00:And that's a great example of a success story through the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program that has impacted our community in a most positive way.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that the number of people that are involved, not necessarily running for office, but getting on boards and councils and advisories uh is uh just a multiplied domino effect. And uh, the more they see the impact that somebody else has, the more they want to get involved. And I actually have alums that approach me and they say, I'm ready for some leadership roles. So what do you suggest? And and I am in the uh I I get to hear from a lot of different leaders across the area that they need board members, and I can say, well, here's somebody that has the interest that you're looking for.
SPEAKER_00:We talked a little bit about those that have gone on and served in elected capacities. Now, I I have not gone through the Flint Hills regional leadership program, and it's mostly a time thing for me. Um but you know, the Manhattan leadership program, you know, you've there there are parallels. There are there were several people, you know, in my class, you know, that that went on and served in an elected capacity. Uh Tom Phillips was in my class. And this was a while, uh, you know, just shortly just shortly after my wife passed, Tom and I were roomies up in uh Topeka. And he listened to me cry until three in the morning. So I love the dude. Uh Lauren Peppard is in the class. And and I and I think there there's somebody else that, you know, went on to elected. Bruce Mead uh was uh in one of the person. Yeah, there's a there's a lot of those. And and that is consistent with what you're doing here with the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program. You've got a lot of people that go on to elected office. Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Uh they just are more comfortable uh building that coalition of people that uh are like-minded. Uh they know that there are ways that we can solve some of these problems. The Third Street Development uh is an example uh that uh if it weren't for the Flint Hills Discovery Center being established as the anchor for uh the uh the special taxation programs that went into effect being uh a city investment, none of that would exist without that city investment. And so you can look at it now compared to what it was uh in the uh back in the 90s and prior to that. Uh dramatic, dramatic change and a great boost for the economy. Yeah. A lot of great stories, a lot of great success stories. Yes. Let's talk about the coming season. Yeah, we are uh in this, of course, already of uh recruiting the interest. We've established the curriculum for the next class, the dates and locations, et cetera, and the topics. Uh so that class timetable is available on our website to look at to see if they are able to make it work in their work calendars and personal lives. And also the application period will start on May 15th and run through July 15th. So it's all online at FHRL.org. They can scope it out now and check out the dates and see some of the things that have happened in the past, see the pictures of our uh alums from past years, and uh then be ready to get online and apply if they want to be part of that next class mix.
SPEAKER_00:FHRLP, that's an acronym for Lakeland Hills Regional Leadership Program. Thank you. I figured that out on my own, right? But you know, to have you say it out loud, reinforcing it, that makes it all the better. So all those inform and and you have a unique process of applying to join. We do.
SPEAKER_01:Uh they have to have experience in leadership roles already. It's it's not a primer. It's it's this is for people who have been in leadership roles already and they want to advance beyond where they are right now. But they want to build uh a network throughout this region, not just locally. And so that's the strength of the program is to regionalize all of these concepts so that when they come up with uh an idea, uh it spreads through throughout the region, not just uh on the local or community basis. All right. What's the enrollment time? Uh May 15th through July 15. And it is an online application and it includes video clip introduction. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Glad we could be a part of the process here and getting people enticed to join up, sign up for the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program.
SPEAKER_01:We encourage people to also go on Facebook and uh search for Flint Junior Leadership Program. Uh we document all of our events and activities. Uh, we do live streams of the class announcement and class graduation. Uh, but there are photos from every one of our sessions so that we get a feel for the program in advance.
SPEAKER_00:All right. Glenn Quist is here, the executive director of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program. Happy holidays to you and your huge family.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the uh Lynn Quistmas is coming up. The Sunday before Christmas is Lynn Christmas. It's an official government date. Uh it's mandated. Well, certainly by the Swedish community anyway. And uh there's 50 of us, so we get together at the Waterville Community Center. Is that where you always do it? Yep, that's our hometown.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. All right. Sounds good. Well, it used to be in homes, but we outgrew the family. I think I know just about everybody in the family. I'm sure you do. So uh uh give them all my best. We'll do. Thank you. Coming up next, Bronwyn Fees is going to be here to talk about Kansas child care training opportunities. Excited to hear about this program here on the GMCF Community Hour on News Radio KMAN.