Celebrating Leadership and Service
We were excited to have almost 50 people signed up for a special conference focusing on service and leadership during the week of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. We had inspiring speakers, fabulous refreshments and engaged participants. Here are some highlights from the day's program.
Morning Keynote: Dr. Teresa Clounch, Washburn University
During her more than 25 years in higher education Dr. Clounch has worked in residential life, conduct, academic advising, diversity and inclusion, alumni relations and foundation, and fraternity and sorority life. She has a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts degree from Emporia State University, a Bachelor of Science degree from Emporia State University, and an associate of arts degree from Allen Community College. While she is a proud alumna of three different colleges and universities, Dr. TLC has a passion to help students succeed in college and life after college. Because this means something different for every student and their college experience, she enjoys working with students who are freshmen, transfer, or graduate students.
Commission Updates & Resources, Dr. Jessica Dorsey, Executive Director, Kansas Volunteer Commission
Since 1993, the Kansas Volunteer Commission has been promoting community service by administering grants to the AmeriCorps and Volunteer Generation Fund programs in Kansas, strengthening volunteer centers, and encouraging volunteerism and mentoring. The Kansas Volunteer Commission is a program of the Kansas State Department of Education.
Defending Democracy and Empowering Voters Carol Williamson, President, League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County
The League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government and to act on selected governmental issues. Carol is a life-long Kansan and a retired STEM educator with an interest in promoting engaged, informed citizens who vote and participate in government.
Afternoon Featured Speaker: Taylor Overton, Providing Space for Community Leadership
As the President and Co-Founder of Black:30 and CEO of Art Love Collective, Taylor Eubanks Overton is a distinguished force in the entrepreneurship community not only in Kansas but across the United States. Some of her most notable clients include the Golden State Warriors, United Airlines, US Bank and JP Morgan Chase. She has a fervent commitment to advancing Supplier Diversity and championing Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). Her expertise lies in supporting procurement teams while advocating for the development and engagement of diverse suppliers and equitable access to education. Taylor is a proud graduate of Ottawa University, where she studied both business in her undergraduate and graduate programs with an emphasis in Human Resources and Recruiting.
In the afternoon breakout sessions, UWKV CEO Jessica Lehnherr introduced participants to ALICE. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This growing group represents families who are unable to afford the basics of housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, and technology. ALICE often struggles to keep their own household from financial ruin, while keeping our local communities running. Jessica shared how to effectively use this data to inform, enrich, and enhance service. The participation of Kansas United Ways in the national United for ALICE data collection and analysis effort brings a rich data pool to advocacy efforts in the state.
Jess Barraclough, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at UWKV also gave participants a taste of our Board Leadership Training course. The next Topeka course will be July 17 and 24, and there is growing interest in offering a course in Douglas County.
Participants also were able to collaborate and build essentials kits for several Douglas County nonprofits during the service project portion of the conference.
Thanks to the grantors and sponsors who made this event possible!
