The Board of Directors of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program is pleased to announce that the thirty members of the 25th Anniversary class for the 2017-18 program year graduated on February 9th during ceremonies at Liquid Art Winery and Estate, according to Jack Lindquist, Executive Director of the organization. The non-profit educational program trains and more-fully engages leaders in the region that includes Fort Riley, Geary, Riley and Pottawatomie counties.
Class members completing the seven-session course over the last six months included:
Ryan Almes
RL County Manhattan
Deputy Fire Chief,
Manhattan Fire Department
Hillary Badger
RL County Manhattan
City of Manhattan – Accounting
Will Baldwin
GE County Milford
Project Director, K-State Plant Diagnostic Information System
William Biles
RL County Manhattan
Computer Tech, Riley County Police Department
LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin
GE County Milford
Director for the K-State Multicultural Engineering Program
Curtis Blanke
DK County Abilene
Regional Network Enterprise Center – Ft Riley
Sara Blankley
PT County Westmoreland
K-State Associate Director – Undergraduate Admissions
Crystal Bryant-Kearns
RL County Manhattan
Site Manager, USO Transition Services – Fort Riley
Leza Chryssovergis
RL County Manhattan
Directorate of Human Resources, CIV USARMY USAG
Rob Couch
GE County Junction City
Corvias, Senior Community Manager
Terry de la Garza
GE County Milford
Historic Architect & Cultural Resources Manager, Fort Riley
Anthony (Tony) Ewers
GE County Junction City
USAG Riley, Resource Management Officer
Judy Fielder
DK County Chapman
Management Analyst, Department of the Army, Directorate of Contracting
Phyllis A. Fitzgerald
GE County Junction City
Ft Riley Department of Veteran Affairs / Mayor of Junction City
Lizzie Flores
GE County Junction City
Colyer Forsyth Community Manager, Corvias
James Johnson
RL County Manhattan
CivicPlus Talent Acquisition Manager
Allison Karnowski
PT County Wamego
Manufacturing Engineer Caterpillar Work Tools
Matt Kenney
PT County Manhattan
Software Engineer at CivicPlus
Melissa Kirkwood
RL County Manhattan
Community Relations Officer, Manhattan Parks and Rec
Brett Louk
RL County Manhattan
Project Manager, SMH Consultants
Sharla Meisenheimer
RL County Manhattan
Director of Membership, Manhattan Area Chamber
Scott Olesky
PT County Manhattan
Eagle Communications General Manager
Christopher (CHIP) Redmond
PT County Manhattan
Assistant Scientist – Weather Data Library, K-State
Lucas Shivers
RL County Manhattan
Manhattan-Ogden USD 383, Dir. of Elementary Education
Heather Stewart *NOT ABLE TO ATTEND
DK County Abilene
USAG Plans, Analysis, and Integration Office – Action Officer
Mica Stites
GE County Junction City
Certified Message Therapist, Body First
Danielle Tegtmeier
RL County Manhattan
Venue Operations, Liquid Art Winery and Estate
Matt Walters
RL County Manhattan
Commercial Product Specialist, Commerce Bank
Elizabeth Wert
GE County Milford
Corvias, Senior Community Manager
Curtis Wood
GE County Junction City
US Army Garrison, Department of Plans, Training, Mobilization & Security
In the announcement, Lindquist said, “The Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program helped the Class leaders find a way to change their world by building on their – Integrity, Confidence, Discipline, Professionalism, Self-Development, Broadened Viewpoint & Servant Ethos. Our newest Graduates now possess a sense to serve and follow, in-order-to LEAD.”
Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins (retired), Executive Director of the Governor’s Military Council, provided the “Charge to Leadership” keynote address to cap off the evening and to equally celebrate the 100th anniversary of FHRLP founding partner, Ft Riley’s Big Red One 100th anniversary. Board Chair and program graduate Marla Brandon concluded the event adding, “With the graduation of the leaders of the class we have met the goals in our mission. We should all look forward to a better life because of what they have done and what they will accomplish in the future.”
Recruitment of the 2018-19 class will get underway with on-line application in mid-May.