Kansas YP Summit

Reno County Young Professionals (Hutchinson, KS) are hosting a Kansas YP Summit on April 15th.

Wednesday, April 14
6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Summit reception at The W, a local restaurant and live entertainment venue.
14 N. Main, Hutchinson, Kansas
Hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine provided.
Attendance is optional, but admission is included with Summit registration; evening attendees can pick up their Summit registration packets at the event.


Thursday, April 15
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Summit check-in and registration
*Registration is $50 thru April 7. Late registrants will pay $65/person.

8:30 a.m. Opening Session


9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Participants will have the option to choose one session each period. Sessions offered more than once are indicated with an asterisk.

Session A: What works? What doesn’t? How do things happen in different YP organizations? Ask questions to a panel of your peers leading organizations in Kansas.
Session B: Eco-friendly is good. Learn how you can be more Earth-friendly.
Session C: Concerned about the state of education in Kansas? Take part in a session with statewide leaders making education decisions.
Session D: Make a difference. A session about how you can get involved as a volunteer.
Session E: Start-Up Strategies with Dr. Cecily Drucker (this session spans two breakout session times, lasting from 9:15 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.)


10:10 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.
Session A: The Nuts and Bolts of Starting an Organization
Session B: Ever thought about a run for a local or state elected position?
Session C: Civic Leadership – How can we foster constructive problem solving through acts of leadership in our communities?
Session D: Diversity - how do we move forward and find consensus when we don’t all share the same views, skin color, age, or otherwise?
Session E: Start-Up Strategies with Dr. Cecily Drucker (Part 2)


11:05 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Session A: Financial Planning for Young Professionals
Session B: Going back to school for those considering an advanced degree or making a career change.
Session C: Your Digital Resume – The power of social media to sell your skills.
Session D: Diversity - how do we move forward and find consensus when we don’t all share the same views, skin color, age, or otherwise?
Session E: Starting your own business? Learn about resources available to entrepreneurial Kansans.


Noon – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon and Keynote Address by Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson


1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Session A: Financial Planning for Young Professionals
Session B: Make a difference. A session about how you can get involved as a volunteer.
Session C: Your Digital Resume – The power of social media to sell your skills.
Session D: Why Small Towns Matter
Session E: Start-Up Strategies with Dr. Cecily Drucker (this session spans two breakout session times, lasting from 1:30 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.)


2:25 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Session A: A Framework for Understanding Poverty
Session B: Thought about a Century Ride, Triathlon, or Marathon? Find out how to train and eat to compete in a fitness challenge.
Session C: Civic Leadership – How can we foster constructive problem solving through acts of leadership in our communities?
Session D: Power Up for Rural Communities
Session E: Start-Up Strategies with Dr. Cecily Drucker (Part 2)


3:30 p.m. Closing Session


5:00 p.m. Hutchinson’s Third Thursday Events and Taste It Downtown food tour
Taste It Downtown tickets are $15 and available for purchase by attendees at the time of event registration.
There is no charge to attend Third Thursday activities.

2010 KCLI Facilitators Workshop

The Kansas Leadership Center is offering a unique and exciting opportunity to improve your facilitation skills. The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLI) Facilitators Workshop has been designed to increase the facilitation effectiveness of community leadership program facilitators. The KCLI Workshop will benefit anyone regardless of his or her facilitation experience and/or his or her exposure to previous Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) Programs. This experience offers an opportunity to fine tune your facilitation skills as well as experiment with new concepts.

WHAT: 2010 KCLI Facilitators Workshop

WHEN: May 10th – 13th, 2010
(Program begins at 1:00 p.m. on May 10; Ends at 1:00 p.m. May 13th)

WHERE: Wichita Hyatt Regency 400 W. Waterman, Wichita, KS

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Community leadership program facilitators

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?: You will practice with both content and process facilitation designed for effective community leadership programs.

HOW TO APPLY: Please visit our website at www.kansasleadershipcenter.org and then click Programs tab to be directed to application page.

PARTICIPATION FEE: $75 (includes lodging and most meals).

DEADLINE: April 1st

WIN Presents: Denise Brown, sister of Nicole Brown Simpson

WIN, an organization that provides a "hand up" to women who are survivors of domestic abuse, has arranged for Denise Brown, sister of Nicole Simpson Brown (OJ Simpson fame), to come to Wichita to speak about domestic and date violence at the WSU Hughes Metropolitan Complex on Tuesday April 20, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. We are very excited to have Ms. Brown share her message with the citizens of Wichita. Tickets are $15.00 adults; $10.00 for students.

Ms. Brown will also be present to mingle with the crowd for a meet and greet on Monday, April 19, 2010, 6:30 p.m., Hotel at Old Town Atrium. Cindy Klose will provide the welcome at this event. This will be an opportunity for guests to interact with Ms. Brown, up close and personal. Guests will also have a one-time opportunity to purchase a distinctive and unique jewelry item made by the women of WIN at this event. Tickets to this event are $75.00.

Ms. Brown will also be present at a luncheon on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, at 12:00 p.m. at the Marriott Corporate Hills. Bonnie Bing will provide the welcome at this event and there will be speakers on domestic and date violence as well as speakers from the women of WIN who will tell their personal stories. The cost for this event is $50 per person. Reservations for tables of 8 or 10 are also being accepted.

Please make plans to attend one or more of these events and help WIN continue its efforts to give a "hand up" to women survivors of domestic abuse and help better inform the citizens of Wichita about domestic and date violence.

Cocoa Dolce named Finalist!

Cocoa Dolce was one of 7 small businesses selected as a finalist for the US Chamber's 2010 Dream Big Small Business of the year award. One finalist will be named the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award on May 18 during America’s Small Business Summit.

Click here for more information or to see the other finalist.

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport Seeks Travel Photos for Its Web site

Three-week promotion will reward best photo with airline tickets

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport will begin featuring travel photos submitted by passengers on its Website beginning in April. The airport is asking patrons to upload their favorite digital images from vacations, mission trips, sporting events or any adventure that originated from the airport. Photos submitted between March 1 and March 21 will be judged and the person submitting the best photo will be awarded two round-trip airline tickets to any destination in the continental United States. "We know thousands of great adventures begin at the airport," said Valerie Wise, Manager of Air Service and Business Development at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. "We really want to engage our customers so they think of Mid-Continent as their airport."

Anyone wanting to submit a photo should go online to www.adventuresareabreeze.com and follow the simple three-step upload process.Photos should be in a horizontal (landscape orientation) format and saved as a jpeg file type. The best of the photos will be featured on the airport's home page beginning April 5. Others photos can be seen in photo albums on the airport's Facebook fan page.

Assisting in the promotion of the photo contest are KAKE-TV Channel 10 and KFDI-FM Radio. The winner of the contest will be announced on or about April 5, 2010. Complete contest rules can be found at www.adventuresareabreeze.com. "You can see the world from Mid-Continent Airport," added Wise. "We're excited to see photos of our customers experiencing the world and share those experiences through our Web site."

The photo submission tool will be integrated into the airport's Web site after the contest so passengers can continue to share their travel images.

Blue Ribbon Small Business Award

Two Wichita businesses were included in the list of 75 companies nation wide that won the Blue Ribbon Small Business of the year award from the US Chamber of Commerce; Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates and ISI Environmental Services. This makes both eligible to be one of 7 companies that could win the Dream Big Small Business of the year award and $10,000 cash.

Click here to see the entire list or to cast your vote for the Dream Big Small Business award.