Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce offers leaders a leg up through nine-month program

Within Lee’s Summit, a number of the community’s leaders have something in common. They are among the approximately 1,000 people who have graduated from Leadership Lee’s Summit, an intensive nine-month program established in 1991 by the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce.

“A community is only as strong as its leaders and those who are willing to step out of their comfort zones and do what is necessary to help move their community forward,” said Venessa Maxwell-Lopez, Law Offices of Venessa Maxwell-Lopez LLC and a 2024 graduate of the Chamber’s program.

“Leadership Lee’s Summit trains the next generation of leaders by equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to become active participants and leaders.”

Maxwell-Lopez added that as a result of her participation, she decided to get more involved in the community.

“By utilizing some of the skills and connections made in my LLS program, I successfully ran for Lee’s Summit Municipal Court judge in April,” she said. “LLS played a significant role in my success.”

The popular Chamber program has room for 30 participants annually and fills up before the July 1 application deadline each year. The participants attend nine all-day sessions, held on the second Tuesday of each month beginning in mid September.

Class topics include Lee’s Summit history, non-profits, recreation and leisure, education and lifelong learning, healthcare and wellness, business and industry, city and government, and a legislative day in Jefferson City.

Each class member must also volunteer for four hours during the Chamber’s Oktoberfest, complete eight hours of additional community service and work with a small group of other participants to plan one class day.

Lisa Frogge, the Chamber’s director of membership and ad sales, works closely with each year’s participants, as well as five volunteer coordinators, all LLS graduates who are serving three-year terms in this role.

“The coordinators are there for every session and they help lead,” Frogge said. “They help with team-building activities because we want everybody to connect with each other. It’s not just about learning about Lee’s Summit, it’s learning how to connect with each other and develop those leadership skills.”

In addition to preparing participants to be leaders, Leadership Lee’s Summit helps the graduates be more effective and fully understand the community.

“The real benefit is understanding the relationships and the connectivity that’s required in the community,” Frogge said. “If you are going to lead a community you need to understand the community. You need to know what resources are there. You need to know the population. You need to know the industries. You need to know the school systems. You need to know what you’re working with before you can effectively lead.”

The leadership session focusing on Lee’s Summit’s past is often one of the most popular, with many participants unaware of the community’s rich history.

“The history is huge,” Frogge added. “How it got there just doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process and the people that came before you to create this amazing community we have — we owe them a lot.”

Over the years, the class members become close during their nine months together and stay connected, she said.

Sara Taylor, KC Dumpster Company, a 2023 LLS graduate and a current coordinator for the program, said she benefited from her participation in a number of ways.

“I met some amazing, like-minded people who were excited to grow as leaders within their business or organization and find ways to support the Lee’s Summit community,” she said. “I had the chance to share about my business and have a deeper understanding of the businesses represented by the members of my cohort and those we visited throughout our time together.”

Participation in the program also served as a way for Taylor to get more involved in the Chamber.

“Most importantly, I learned a great deal about the Lee’s Summit community and the many wonderful businesses, organizations and people.”

With the long-running success of Leadership Lee’s Summit, Frogge said the Chamber is looking at launching a LLS 2.0 type program with two to three sessions to help graduates hone their skills and stay connected.

“If you look at the alumni list of LLS graduates, you will find many leaders in our community, including the mayor, mayor pro tem, city manager, several current and former city council members, city employees, business owners, community activists and leaders in the nonprofit community,” Maxwell-Lopez said. “All used their knowledge and the skills gained in LLS to help make Lee’s Summit a better community.”

For more information about Leadership Lee’s Summit, visit the Chamber of Commerce webpage. Applications open in the spring.