Add Leadership Wichita graduate to the list of Kevin Steckley’s accomplishments.Steckley, senior business development partner with Syndeo Outsourcing, recently completed a nearly three-month leadership development program put on by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was one of 31 people from organizations large and small who were selected to participate in this year’s program.“It was nice to get plugged into a new group of people who are equally intent on doing good things,” Steckley says.Leadership Wichita is designed to foster community leadership among area professionals and create an avenue for them to use their skills to aid the betterment of the city. Participants also gain insight into community organizations and processes.

“It’s a back-stage pass to our city and county operations, and we had the opportunity to bring up questions and issues face to face with our local leaders,” Steckley says.

The 2018 Leadership Wichita program wrapped up Nov. 14. This year’s class now joins the more than 1,000 other business professionals who have completed the chamber program, which launched in 1983.

“Leadership Wichita provides professionals insight into community processes in order to use their talents and skills to tackle local needs, such as education and economic development,” says Ryan Bond, chair of the Leadership Wichita board of trustees. “Past participants of Leadership Wichita have made significant contributions in our community, and this year’s class (graduated) equipped with the knowledge to build upon their professional successes, contributing to make Wichita the premier place to grow companies, careers and communities.”

Steckley hopes to strengthen the relationships developed through the program and generate some additional momentum in coordinating the efforts of this group of leaders along with several other community development initiatives.

Participants were nominated by past Leadership Wichita graduates and selected based on a nomination process that also required a formal application to the program’s board of trustees.

The program included nearly a dozen day-long learning sessions that addressed issues, such as building consensus within government, working with the media, law enforcement and legal reform, education, economic development and the vision for Wichita’s future. Participants were taken through real-life exercises, group discussion and collaboration. The program was built around meetings with county, city, business and community leaders. Activities included a tour of the county jail, law enforcement training center and a ride along with the Wichita Police Department.

Steckley says the program challenged participants to think about issues in a larger context with the common goal of the advancement of Wichita in mind. He says the experiential emphasis, rather than classroom learning, added value to the program.

Click here for a full list of the 2018 Leadership Wichita participants.