Emerging Leaders Academy

Graduates of the spring 2012 Emerging Leaders Academy celebrate their graduation at the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence.

The Emerging Leaders Academy is a succession planning program targeted to promising, non-managerial staff to help them prepare for leadership roles in their departments and agencies. Participants meet together ten times over five months, with classes designed to help them hone their skills for positions of increasing responsibility while also growing their effectiveness in their current roles.

ELA participants gain knowledge and skills in leadership, organizational dynamics, communication, and career planning to help them identify and achieve their professional goals while increasing their effectiveness as public servants. Agencies gain a more prepared and engaged talent pool to draw from as they plan for the future. We offer ELA twice each year, with one session in the spring and one in the fall.

For fall 2013, we'll be offering the Emerging Leaders Academy in Wichita for the first time thanks to a partnership with the Hugo Wall School at Wichita State University. The Wichita class will begin in August and run through December. Apply now! Wichita registrations received and paid for by June 1 are eligible for a discounted course fee of $1,000, a savings of $150. Click here for the Wichita ELA schedule.

We'll also offer a fall 2013 session of ELA in the Kansas City area and in Topeka, beginning in September. Specific course dates and meeting locations will be available in late May. Contact Noel Rasor, ELA Program Director, if you'd like to be notified about dates for future sessions of ELA.

Dawnishia Canady (center), contact representative with the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Resource Center, receives her ELA certificate from Charles Jones, director of the KUPMC, and Noel Rasor (right), program director for the Emerging Leaders Academy. Click here for more photos from the June 2012 ELA graduation on our Facebook page. (Click here to see them on Flickr.)

The Emerging Leaders Academy is designed for public servants who show potential for leadership and who want to:

• Position themselves to move into positions of increasing responsibility within their organizations
• Meet and learn from experienced practitioners
• Broaden their scope of understanding of elements crucial to successful careers in public service
• Identify new ideas they can implement to improve their workplaces
• Prepare themselves to handle challenges in their departments and organizations
• Better understand how they can positively influence organizational culture to achieve the agency's mission
• Prepare themselves to compete for promotional opportunities and to be successful in taking on new responsibilities

Benefits to your agency

• A prepared "next generation" ready to step up as baby boomers retire
• Staff members who recognize the importance of and opportunities in knowledge management and succession planning
• Increased engagement of promising staff who recognize the organization's commitment to their growth
• Employees with greater understanding of the breadth and scope of public service
• A stronger understanding of the skills and goals of your team members and what they need from you to be effective

Benefits for Learners

Developed by practitioners for practitioners, ELA is more than just a series of professional development classes. Each class is led by experienced public servants who share their experiences with the learners. Grounded in real-world activities, each meeting offers valuable takeaways focused on both immediate practical use and long term career success. The Emerging Leaders Academy is designed to help participants develop:

• Improved ability to work effectively with others and make contributions in a team environment
• Increased awareness of their own personal styles and values and how to leverage these for success
• Confidence in taking on increased responsibilities and handling decision-making opportunities
• Improved understanding of the "big picture" of public sector work
• Greater willingness to take risks—and to accept the rewards that come with them
• Cross-application of their learning to other aspects of their lives

Enrollment Information

Enrollment in the Emerging Leaders Academy requires submission of a complete Application Form , a letter from the applicant indicating the intent to participate fully and complete all program requirements, and a letter of recommendation from the applicant's supervisor. Please send application materials to the address or fax number on the application form.

Program Cost

The program fee for the Emerging Leaders Academy is $1,150; the KU staff rate is $875. This fee covers all class meetings and related materials. The additional cost to organizations sending staff is the staff time away from the office for the 10 days of training. The PMC recognizes this challenge so we work to ensure an immediate return for agencies in skill enhancement and engagement. ELA graduates bring new ideas and a renewed sense of commitment to their work, and this is evident to their supervisors. Once an organization or department sends one or two staff members to ELA, they generally prioritize sending additional staff to future sessions because of the results they see.

Questions? Please contact Noel Rasor at 913-897-8460 or noel@ku.edu.

ELA Curriculum
ELA Schedule
Comments from Past Participants