About the Program

Overview

Leadership Reno County provides a leadership skills training experience for a cross section of community members. The skills are taught in the context of community issues and initiatives with the goal of increasing participants' level of civic engagement. Participants also gain skills that they are able to immediately use for the betterment of their employers and community organizations with which they are involved.

History

Since 1984, over 945 community members have been participants in leadership programs offered by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. Originally known as Leadership Hutchinson, the program was renamed Leadership Reno County in 2005 and was revamped to provide skill-based training with the purpose of increasing participants' level of civic engagement. Currently, each class is comprised of 28-32 participants.

Program Details

Tuition is $900 per class participant. Full and partial scholarships are available from the Leadership Reno County Alumni Association. If you are interested in a scholarship, the appropriate form can be accessed through our application.

To be eligible, participants must live or work in Reno County and not be convicted of a person or sex crime of severity level 3 or higher, or its equivalent, unless they have lived in the community at least five years, without any criminal arrests following the completion of their sentence or parole, whichever is later.

Participants attend a two-day overnight retreat and six one-day sessions. Community tours of local businesses and other organizations are arranged both during class sessions and outside of class. An additional 15 to 20 hours are spent outside of class.

2024 Class Information

To recommend someone to participate in LRC, please send the applicant's name and email address to Info@LeadRenoCounty.org. Or click here to complete an Application.

2024 Class Sessions

Retreat     - Thursday, August 15 to Friday, August 16 (overnight) 
Session 2 - Thursday, September 5, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 3 - Thursday, September 19, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 4 - Thursday, October 10, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 5 - Thursday, October 24, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 6 - Thursday, November 7, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 7 - Thursday, November 14, 8 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 7 pm

Any absence, regardless of the reason, must be excused by one of the program facilitators. Participants unable to attend all sessions may, at the discretion of the program facilitators, be withdrawn from the program. In such cases, there will not be a tuition refund.

Participants are also required to:

• Complete community exposure visitations to businesses, non-profits and community boards (at times other than during class sessions)
• Complete readings
• Experiment with the leadership competencies

How to Apply

Now accepting Applications for the 2024 class.

To recommend someone to participate in LRC, please send the applicant's name and email address to Info@LeadRenoCounty.org.

Leadership Reno County Committee

The Leadership Reno County Committee of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, is responsible for program content; class selection; oversight of program donations and endowed funds; and the Leadership Reno County Alumni Association. Members of the Leadership Reno County Committee are program graduates and serve up to two two-year terms.

Leadership Reno County Committee Members

• Kelsi Depew
• Cheryl Gonsalves - Hutchinson Clinic
• Chucc Crumble - Youth NAACP
• Natalie Goertzen - Reno County Health Department
• Elicia Lance - Boys and Girls Club
• Lucas Bishop - First Bank of Kansas
• Jacqui Homewood - Independent Businessperson
• Matthew Caraway - Oxford Houses
• Debra Teufel - Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce
• Kari Mailloux - Hutchinson Community Foundation
• Phil Auxier - Program Director
• Dashona Mahoney - Program Facilitator
• Jackson Swearer - Program Facilitator