ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Local leaders are constantly looking for ways to help improve and expand on their leadership skills and soon, two of Liberal’s own will be able to do just that.
City of Liberal Chief Communications Officer Keeley Moree and Seward County Development Corporation (SCDC) Entrepreneurship Director Raquel Arellano were chosen to be part of this year’s Leadership Kansas class, and both said they are excited for the opportunity.
“Leadership Kansas started back in 1979, and its aim is to help develop future leaders in Kansas through a lot of topics that are really important to our state specifically. It does involve a nomination process, and every year, there are 40 people selected to be part of the program ranging from all occupations and all parts of Kansas,” Moree said. “This year, there were about 500 people nominated, and I was really thankful to be chosen, and I think it's going to be a great opportunity to go out and learn more and bring back some of that knowledge back to Liberal. Another big thing is networking, and I've discovered no matter where you go in Kansas – especially at the Statehouse – there's a chance you'll run into multiple Leadership Kansas alumni, and it's definitely a very tight-knit group. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to learn from others, and some of the topics that will be presented on will include education and agriculture and economic development, all of which affect Liberal, so being able to learn more and be a better advocate is really important for me. Sarah Thompson is the one who nominated me for this round, and she'd given me a heads up around Christmas to look for all of that. I got everything filled out and completed in January and found out near the beginning of March I'd been chosen. It's a rather lengthy application, there's a lot that's required. Seeing the roster of alumni and then the roster of people who were picked this time around ... It's a really great group, and I'm excited to get to meet everyone. In just the time since I got the official word, I've gotten dozens of emails and letters from Leadership Kansas alumni congratulating me and encouraging me to dive right into it all since they'd gotten so much from their experiences, and that's been really special getting that outreach.”
“It was late last year when I got the word I'd been nominated, and then I filled out the application and sent everything in, and then after the review process, I got notified. I was really excited and happy to be chosen because I've heard a lot of great things about Leadership Kansas,” Arellano said. “I know there's a lot of learning and a lot of leadership development, and you get to join a bunch of other great people in the class and network and get to know everyone. It was about a month after I submitted everything when I got the word, and I was just really excited. And since we've been announced, I've already gotten so many cards and emails and letters from alumni congratulating me and encouraging me to take advantage of the opportunity since it was so instrumental for them, which has been phenomenal.”
Moree and Arellano said they were surprised to be among the chosen for this year’s class.
“I honestly didn't think I'd be one of the ones picked for this year since there was just such a big pool of applicants, but I feel really grateful. I feel like professionally, there are times when people assume if you reach a certain position or certain, you've basically peaked, but there's always so, so much more to learn,” Moree said. “I definitely feel like this will be a great opportunity for me to continue learning since there's leadership development built into everything, and I know there's a lot that will be covered in the individual topics. I'm really committed to diving in and absorbing everything the program has to offer. I feel like the networking side will be a big thing, and I know there will be a lot of important connections I'll be able to make with other participants that will be really helpful down the line, whether it's in regard to funding needs or policy changes or whatever. It'll also be great to see parts of the state I haven't seen before, and I'm really interested in learning about those places and the different topics we'll be covering. Orientation is next month in Wichita, so that should be really neat, and then the remaining sessions will deep dive into various topics. We'll be able to visit other communities throughout the state and meet some of those important leaders and really dive into everything and ask the important questions.”
“There's been a lot of excitement. I really love learning, so I'm excited to be able to participate in something that involves so many professionals and so many other people who have great knowledge and experience in all sorts of different fields,” Arellano said. “These leaders aren't just coming in from one specific industry or another, there's a wide array of people from all different parts of the state participating in this either as students or the teachers. I'm really excited about everything in general, but the learning piece, to me, is going to be especially instrumental because I feel like I'm going into this like a sponge. I want to completely absorb all the lessons that will be imparted throughout the classes, bring that back to Liberal, and help implement that knowledge with my clients and others I work with. I'm really excited to be going out and bringing back some insights that could be beneficial to Liberal.”
Moree and Arellano agreed it is a great opportunity for two leaders from Liberal to be chosen for the program.
“I think it's pretty incredible two from Liberal got picked for this time around. I know a lot of larger cities are always represented, so to have two people from Southwest Kansas is really great,” Moree said. “I'm really happy Raquel was selected, she does an amazing job with the Seward County Development Corporation and everything she does there, so I'm really excited to be able to go through this with her. It will give us a really good opportunity to continue bouncing ideas off of each other since our offices work closely together to begin with, so I feel like we'll be a really powerful pair in bringing back knowledge and ideas that can be applied. Leadership Kansas will definitely be a great way to tell other people about and about some of the solutions we've come across regarding certain issues. That's important because any time you can help strengthen communities and/or advocate for things across the state that ultimately affect everyone, that can only be beneficial, so I see that being really great.”
“I love how two of us from Liberal got chosen, I think it's so awesome Keeley and I will be able to share this experience together and be part of this class,” Arellano added. “I'm really looking forward to us discussing everything amongst each other and compare notes about what we could bring back to Liberal that could be implemented, so I think it'll be great. I love the idea of growing organically, I think there are a lot of people in the community doing a lot of great work. I think sometimes, though, people need a bit of a push or someone by their side to help guide the path and outfit you with the tools and resources to make what you've already been working on even more successful. That's my angle – as I bring back knowledge and ideas, I want to help not just businesses that are coming in, but also local businesses as they work on growing.”
Overall, Moree and Arellano said, they are excited for the opportunity and ready to get to work.
“I'm really grateful for the opportunity. Sometimes with certain leadership positions, people think you know everything, but that is absolutely not the case since I love learning and love the opportunity to develop myself and improve what I can do,” Moree said. “I'm really looking forward to getting out there and having this experience.”
“I'm just really grateful for the opportunity, and I can't wait to learn as much as possible!” Arellano said “I'm so proud and excited on all fronts to be part of this, and I just can't wait to see what this experience will be like.”
