Leadership Springfield connects professionals to community

A common theme for many area nonprofit groups is that alumni of Leadership Springfield are serving on their boards – and many of those same people are known as leaders in the business community, too.

Since 1985, more than 700 people have completed Leadership Springfield, a 10-month program with a mission to inspire, develop and connect leaders to serve in the community.

Its annual schedule includes two retreats, eight program days and completion of a community service component, working to aid nonprofit organizations.

Emerging leaders
The program targets emerging business and community leaders who have shown concern for Springfield’s future and have demonstrated leadership potential, according to LeadershipSpringfield.org.

“Leadership Springfield helps people become familiar with issues in the community and how we can address those issues,” said Laura Ward, Leadership Springfield board president and Webster University’s Ozarks regional campus director.

Ward, a graduate of Leadership Springfield Class XVII, said approximately 70 to 100 people apply each spring for the 32 slots in the program, which runs September–June. Participants are chosen by the board of directors and an alumni committee.

While many participants are business leaders who want to move up professionally, that goal shouldn’t be an individual’s main reason for getting involved, said Springfield City Manager Greg Burris, a graduate of Leadership Springfield Class XVI.

“We don’t encourage people to sign up if their only objective is to network,” said Burris, who was an associate vice president at Missouri State University when he signed up for Leadership Springfield.

“We want to get people who want to learn about the issues in Springfield and who want to give back.”

Ongoing connections
That doesn’t mean, however, that connections don’t happen as a result of participation in the program.

The program days that are held for participants introduce them to all facets of Springfield and highlight important civic issues, focusing on topics such as civic awareness, criminal justice and public safety, health and medical services, arts and quality of life.

“I wasn’t engaged in the community at that time, and I saw it as an opportunity to open doors to get myself engaged in the community and give back,” Burris said. Roughly seven years later, he moved into the city manager’s post.

After graduation from Leadership Springfield, Burris said he joined the organization’s board, as well as the boards of Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District.

Those experiences were a great opportunity to learn about leadership,” Burris added. “It’s helped me make a lot of connections that have helped me throughout my career.”

Architect Jeffery Smith, vice president of JPS & Associates Inc., is a member of Leadership Springfield Class XXVI, said he still gets together with several of his classmates once a month at local restaurants.

“We talk about what people are doing in their jobs and just social stuff,” Smith said. “We’ve become friends.”

Smith said the program days were an educational experience, and program benefits reach beyond the social realm.

“The connections I made meeting speakers and fellow classmates helped me build a network,” he said.

Teresa Coyan, physician relations manager for CoxHealth, is a participant in the current Leadership Springfield class and agrees that networking, though not a primary component of the program, happens naturally.

“There is a huge network through Leadership Springfield and I suppose if someone needed to look for a position, the huge network through it could be beneficial,” she said.

Community projects
Group community service projects are a pillar of Leadership Springfield.

Coyan said the current class is focusing its project on The Kitchen Inc., which has expressed a need for a dozen baby beds for its homeless shelter.

“We’re going to have a fundraiser to raise money, but we haven’t nailed it down yet,” Coyan said.

Also important is the focus on meeting community needs, as the program works to create a legacy of graduates whose awareness of those needs and commitment to meet them serve as a catalyst for positively affecting Springfield’s future, according to the vision posted on its Web site.

That vision also notes an effort to develop graduates who are more committed to the community and are more well-rounded employees, managers and leaders in the workplace.

Burris said Leadership Springfield’s program components not only introduce participants to area nonprofits – it also prepares them to step into leadership roles.  “One of the most important things a board does is selecting its next board member,” he said. “It can make or break an organization.”

Program support
Though Leadership Springfield is a separate nonprofit entity from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, it is housed in the chamber offices and shares a part-time administrative staff member with the business advocacy group.

Ward said Leadership Springfield has an operating budget of $35,000 this year; revenue comes from tuition, a $60 per year alumni fee and fundraisers.

The organization also funds a Leadership Academy for high school juniors, to help them get engaged in the community and prepare them for future leadership roles.

Tuition is $1,200 per participant, and Ward said most employers pick up the tab for their employees, though limited scholarships also are available.

Coyan noted that CoxHealth paid part of her tuition, and she was granted a scholarship to cover the rest.

With payment of alumni dues, graduates of the program are eligible for continuing education opportunities, networking events and class reunions.

“Many of our alumni are still active, and we try to prepare relevant events to help keep them engaged in the community,” she said.