Northeast News
January 7, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri —The Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce will roll out its 2015 TakeCharge Civic Leadership program from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, during a welcome reception at the North-East Public Library, 6000 Wilson Road. Most of the program’s sessions will be held from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the library.

The TakeCharge program is an intensive, five-month course that equips participants with the knowledge, skills and contacts to be effective neighborhood and community leaders. Topics included in the program’s fifteen sessions include: Kansas City’s neighborhoods, urban planning, the local court system, local government, the Kansas City Museum, communications, public infrastructure, using the public library, the Social Service network, community policing, economic development, and energy and the environment.

In a press release, Bobbi Baker-Hughes, Northeast Chamber CEO, said the civic leadership program grew out of the Chamber’s 2013 strategic plan.

“Ongoing, capable leadership is the sustaining force behind successful neighborhood and non-profit organizations, just as it is in the private sector,” Baker-Hughes said.

The Take Charge program is free to people who live or work in the Northeast. Businesses are encouraged to sponsor interested employees or adopt one or more neighborhood residents to help defray costs of the program. Applicants are expected to attend all of the sessions and participate in class discussions.

“We believe Take Charge is well worth the effort and time it requires because it is an investment that will empower current and future leaders to make their communities even better places for families to grow and prosper,” Jim Rice, program coordinator, said.

Persons interested in participating in Take Charge should contact Rebecca Koop at 816-231-3312. nekcchamber@aol.com. Class size is limited, so interested persons are urged to sign up as soon as possible. The last class is scheduled for May 28, 2015.