Genesis Seminar

COMMUNICATION – TRUST – COOPERATION. Each critical components of leadership and a team. While at Rock Springs, KARL Class XV experienced the Leadership Adventure Course that reinforced these values. 

KARL Class XV kicked off their Genesis Seminar which is just the beginning of their two-year journey. The seminar started at the Kansas Department of Agriculture with a Dale Carnegie of the Heartland seminar working with the Class to dive in and connect with others.  

Genesis Day One
Thursday, August 22
Submitted by: Debra Tuefel


Our first official day as KARL Class XV began with an introduction from KARL Staff Susan Sankey & Jill Zimmerman.  Their reminders of the impact this experience will have on our lives set the tone for the day as they reinforced the personal and professional investment we are making, and that others are making in us. 

Our Chair for the day was Jackie Mundt, who introduced our speakers and added her personal flair to facilitating. We could see we are among the best of the best of Kansas leadership already. 

It was an honor for past KARL Alumni to join us for the first session which included words of inspiration from Steve Baccus, Jerry McReynolds, Doug Hofbauer, Carolyn Harms, Mary McCurry and others who joined in later in the day.  As Steve Baccus reminded us, “You are embarking on a journey that is going to impact your life. I promise you it will change your life.”

Next up we were welcomed to Manhattan by Dr. Ernie Minton, the Dean of Kansas State University College of Agriculture.  He shared his perspective and some history of land grant universities. He reflected on the challenges our country is facing regarding trade policies and he acknowledged that Kansas has its own set of challenges.  But he encouraged us to use this experience to make reasoned, well thought out decisions. As he reminded us, our country has adapted to challenges before – in 1862 when legislation was enacted to create the land grant system, when the Homestead Act and Transcontinental Railroad were enacted, in 1914 when the Extension System was created – all monumental milestones in the history of our country.  His parting thought was to think about these monumental moments and translate that to the challenges we face today. “We’ve done it before, we can do it again”, as Dr. Minton encouraged us to use this opportunity as leaders to move us forward. 

From this point, we dove right into a fun leadership exercise led by Dr. Amy Gross and Amanda Eilders, facilitators from the Dale Carnegie of Kansas.  Their lessons from Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book were the foundation for leading us through an afternoon where we truly got to know our classmates on a whole new creative level.  They encouraged us to make the choice to STEP IN and push our comfort zone. Get comfortable with the discomfort. Amy and Amanda helped us learn the value in making positive first impressions by being approachable, warm, professional and confident, but most of all memorable by using the pause/part/punch method to introduce ourselves. As we introduced ourselves in groups to the class, we practiced this method, and each shared what we are most looking forward to about KARL – our first introspective look at what motivates our peers in the year ahead. Next, we learned how conversation linking can help us remember details, and how to dig deeper and ask questions to develop better listening skills by driving the conversation. 

The real fun began when we each got to develop our own “mind picture” of our name to help the class learn each and every name in the class.  Needless to say, the most memorable “mind picture” agreed upon by all was Bob Temple. With a name like Bob….Temple….how could we forget? I’m not naming names but a few of us earned a 53/53 possible…not that there are any perfectionists in this Class XV. 

Amy and Amanda left us with some parting words of wisdom. Principles from How to Win Friends and Influence People and they encouraged everyone to step outside of their comfort zone and DIVE IN! 

After a short break and wishing Happy Birthday to our classmate, Kendra Riley, we dove right in at the Kansas Department of Agriculture with an introduction by Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Beam.  

Secretary Beam gave an overview of the division within the Department and discussed their functions – Ag Marketing, Animal Health, Conservation, Water Resources, Agribusiness Services.  A few statistics resonated with the group. The top 5 sectors by output in Kansas are beef cattle ranching, animal slaughtering, grain farming, pet food manufacturing, and meat processing.  The total contribution of all 64 ag, food, and food processing sectors is $63.8 billion (a 5-year average), in addition to another $77.4 billion from food retail and ethanol. In 2017 Kansas ranked 5th of all states in Total value of Agricultural Production with $18.8 billion, led by California, Iowa, Texas and Nebraska. Kansas ranked 1st in sorghum production, 1st in winter wheat, 2nd in cropland, and 3rd in cattle. Some other striking statistics – The average age of a Kansas farmer is 58 years old, and only 10% of producers are 35 years or younger.  Kansas ag exports have increased every year since 2015 to approximately $3.8 billion in 2018 with the top three destinations including Mexico, Japan, and Canada.  Beef, wheat, and soybeans topped the list.  

Secretary Beam shared some front-burner issues for the department including Kansas Industrial Hemp Research Program, Market Facilitation Program, Cattle Trace, the spread of Old World Bluestem and Emergency Planning for Animal Health, Office of Rural Prosperity, Strategic Growth, and Rural Broadband. In closing, Secretary Beam said, “These are stressful times.” There are many issues ahead to be addressed that impact Kansas agriculture and rural and ag families. 

Our next speaker helped us take a deeper look at statistics about rural population trends in Kansas.  Ron Wilson, Director off the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University is a highly recognized expert in the field of Rural Revitalization and Rural-preneurs. He tasked us to think about these statistics as if “You Are the Senator” and how we would address the rural population situation in Kansas. He shared national perspective on Economic Base industries – Farming, Mining, Manufacturing, Recreation and the counties which are most dependent on Federal/State government. He then shared population shifts occurring noting population density and what he called the “Hollowing Out the Middle”.  There were notable shifts occurring beginning with major population shifts of rural decline in rural Kansas counties beginning in the 1950 Census forward. The most notable slide was a projection of Kansas counties which will decline between 2014-2044. Nearly 75% of Kansas counties are projected to decline over that period. From 2000-2010, 19 metropolitan counties added population equivalent to an Overland Park, while 86 non-metro counties lost the equivalent of Hays.  

Next, Wilson discussed some rural development principles that can help support Ruralpreneuers and small-town quality of life including:

• Encourage regional grass-roots solutions
• Encourage value-added ag and local food access
• Maintain infrastructure – transportation, broadband, schools
• Enhance ag research and extension – innovation and education provide a rising tide that lifts all boats
• Build public-private partnerships and philanthropy (examples such as the Dane Hansen Foundation) 

He encouraged us to think about what measures we would pursue so Kansans can thrive in the future.  Some key takeaways – there is a “wave of wealth transfer coming” and a “greater separation between ownership and operation”.  In closing, Wilson said “We need to celebrate, honor, value, promote Rural Kansas. We need to work at making it better, and if we do, the future will be in good hands.” 

The closing speaker of the day was Dr. Timothy Shaffer, Assistant Professor, KSU Department of Communication Studies who speaks about the practice of deliberative democracy, civic education, and group communication. He gave examples of how we are wrestling with challenges that he called “wicked problems” currently in public dialogue. Some of these are cited in his book “A Crisis of Civility”. In the US, 93% agree we have a civility problem, 80% believe it leads to violence. He cited a report on Civility in America 2018: Partisan Agreement. 72% agree that civility has gotten worse compared to a few years ago, and Americans perceive political consequences to incivility include political gridlock. This comparison then looked at a historical perspective on civility, a view of crises that generations have experienced and how that leads to behavioral change. 

Shaffer then talked about ways to encourage healthy civil discourse – debate, discussion, conversation, dialogue, and deliberation and a willingness to listen to others. We discussed the cultural and political backdrop and the politics before the “big sort”. Shaffer cited books that reference the change in association life in America – “The Vanishing Neighbor”, “Alienated America”, “Why the Garden Club Couldn’t Save Youngstown” and “Bowling Alone”.  This Ecology of Democracy and how we think about communities, the impacts on news media, newspaper closures, and the polarizing viewpoints create a world where we have four Grand Challenges. 1) Lack of civil discourse due in large part to political and cultural polarization/separation. 2) Distrust of institutions and professions is increasingly common, especially with a degree of partisan difference. 3)Single narratives. 4)Divisive rhetoric, policy, and practices in response to shifts in demographics. 

In closing, Shaffer shared a primer called Creating Space for Democracy and shared several tools that can help us in various group sizes and makeups to create constructive dialogue.  He shared some deliberative dialogue examples used as early as 1935 that encourage group discussion models to revive civility. Tools are available at revivecivility.org, text Civility to 89800. 

To wrap up the day, the KARL Class XV took a short journey down to Rock Springs Ranch where we checked in at the Leadership Lodge and prepared to refresh, reflect, and revive before we embarked on our continued journey the next day.  If Genesis Day 1 was any indication of what lies ahead for this class, we are surely on our way to becoming better leaders to affect change in our communities, business, and lives in the two years ahead. Onward to Day 2! 


Genesis Day Two
Friday, August 23
Submitted by: Kim Baldwin

Jim Wheaton, Executive Director at Rock Springs, visited with the class about the ranch’s history. The ranch was purchased in 1945 to be the home of 4-H Camp for all counties in Kansas. 4-H members and supporters of the 4-H program raised the funds to purchase the property paid off the mortgage within six months. To celebrate this accomplishment, they burned the mortgage in June of 1946 before the camping season began in July of 1946.

Currently, the ranch consists of approximately 750 acres and serves as a youth leadership training center while also hosting other guests including family reunions and corporate retreats.

The ranch’s major areas of focus include:

• Conservation—they are in the process of restoring 300 acres back to native grasses
• Center of Leadership
• Shooting Sports
• Equine

Following Mr. Wheaton’s presentation, Class XV members journeyed down the hill to the Riley-Wallace Educational Building. To begin the day, JJ Bebb (the Class Chair of the Day) facilitated a Day 1 review where class members provided two takeaways from the previous day. Class members’ takeaways included:

• Lessons from the Dale Carnegie presenters
  • The importance of listening and key tools to use that were presented by Dale Carnegie staffers
  • Energy on your face not just energizes you, but others you interact with
  • The ability to get to know others by “diving in” and being genuinely interested in what people say
  • Being open to allowing yourself to be vulnerable
  • Strategies to use to get involved and spur conversation
  • Strategies to use in order to keep conversations going
  • Carnegie Principles (Always trying to understand the other side)
• First impressions of KARL and the KARL Class XV
  • Awkward is awesome
  • The overall diversity represented within this new KARL class
  • Overall representation of ag and rural within this class
  • The power of the Board member and KARL alum testimonies
• Thoughts on Ron Wilson’s presentation
  • Population maps and the issues of population decline within areas of Kansas
  • What is happening to scare off industry?
  • What’s happening with the rural/urban split?
  • The ability to take off the state/national solutions hat and think local action
  • The overall extent of the population shift
  • Definitions of “rural” change and the recognition that successful urban was at one time rural
  • The age scales impacting rural populations
  • 10% of farmers under age of 35
• Dr. Shaffer’s Civil Discourse and its Implications presentation
  • Ecosystems of Communities
  • How can we pull neighbors into conversations
  • Conversation vs. debate vs. discourse
  • How Extension facilitated discourse in 1900s
  • Where can we create the bowling leagues

Following the class’s Day 1 review and discussion, the class made its way to the Leadership Adventure Course where the group worked together on a number of activities that helped illustrate the importance of communication, problem solving, listening to others, blindly trusting one another, and at times utilizing grit and muscle to overcome obstacles (like a giant wall).

The class enjoyed a nice lunch at Williams Dining Hall before returning to Riley-Wallace Educational Building to meet with Cathy McClain, CEO of Dauntless Leadership. McClain spoke on the Hands, Head, Heart- Being a Courageous Leader. She shared her experience of being a pilot and flying into a war zone. She discussed how as leaders, we make decisions without all information while leading your people.

Hands—Technical Skills (Analyzing and making decisions)

Head—Judgement on the job and in leading (charting a path)

Heart—Believing in the importance and worthiness of one’s contributions (Foundational beliefs about purposes)

For courageous leadership, one must start with heart.

McClain explained that one’s leadership presence is so powerful because a leader’s state of mind is contagious. According to McClain, most employees say their organization’s climate can be traced to the action of one person—the leader.

McClain also spoke about the “Amygdala Hijack” where a situation causes your amygdala to hijack control of your response to stress. The amygdala disables the frontal lobes and activates the fight-or-flight response which leads to an emotional response—the opposite of a calm, resilient, clear headed leader.

McClain suggested that in order to “reset” the following technique should be utilized, thus, bringing stress levels down:

• Gratitude
• Slow, measured breathing
  • 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out
  • Repeat 3 times

Following McClain, three representatives from Kansas Department of Agriculture spoke on initiatives and critical issues for KDA.
Lane Letourneau, Water Appropriation Program Manager within the Division of Water Resources, discussed water rights in Kansas. Letourneau shared that Kansas is a 1^st in time, 1^st in right state (since 1945). He discussed permit types and requirements within Kansas. He also identified major groundwater sources in Kansas and the Groundwater Management Districts (GMDs) in Kansas. He also explained Local Enhanced Management Areas (LEMAs) as proactive plans developed by locals and GMDs.  Letourneau discussed a water management tool that allows for more flexible solutions taking into account the area and aquifer known as Intensive Groundwater Use Control Areas (IGUCAs). Letourneau also shared a map of Kansas reflecting the annual water usage. Much of that usage is used for irrigation, with smaller areas utilizing water for industrial, municipal, stock and recreation.

Justin Smith, Deputy Animal Health Commissioner, spoke on animal traceability within the state. Kansas is considered progressive regarding traceability. Cattle Track is currently in its second year. Additionally, KDA is continually working to secure food supply systems by helping build individual biosecurity plans for individual operations. Currently, 95% of Kansas facilities have an enhanced biosecurity plan. Smith also discussed how a disease for one species could also impact other areas. Smith discussed how the African Swine Fever could negatively impact the beef industry and also cause a $4-5 billion loss within the corn industry. Smith discussed how Kansas is the tenth in the nation for swine productions and is considered an import state. Being an “import state” increases vulnerability and exposure to livestock diseases. KDA has participated in Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic workups for the last 25-30 years in Kansas, and KDA practices an annual foreign animal disease exercise.

Kerry Wefald, Agriculture Marketing Director, navigated the KARL class through some key items and information that can be found on the KDA website. Wefald also discussed the estimated economic impact of agriculture, food, and food processing sectors. Currently, there are 64 sectors in Kansas that have a total direct output of approximately $46.4 billion and support 125, 411 jobs in Kansas. Wefald shared the impressive increase in dairy exports following the introduction of a dairy processing facility where dry milk powder is exported to 16 countries and accounted for $48.8 million in sales in 2018. Wefald also shared how KDA works to match Kansas counties to potential growth opportunities through KDS’s Strategic Growth Initiative. This initiative allows counties to voluntarily identify the areas of the food, agriculture and unmanned aerial systems (UAS)/small aircraft industry in which they would like to grow. These growth areas are then aligned with the state’s strategic growth plans for 19 sectors across Kansas. Wefald also discussed international marketing and trade statistics for Kansas. In 2018, the top Kansas ag export product was meat (edible offal) and accounted for 44.2% of all Kansas ag exports (more than $1.6 billion in 2018). Kansas continues to export to a number of countries, however, 32.74% of 218 Kansas exports went to Mexico (approximately $1.2 billion in 2018).

Following a short break, Sarah Farlee (Class XII) spoke to the class about creating our own 150-word bios and six-word memoirs. Farlee will use the information collected to share on social media and other promotional material as well as sharing profiles in annual reporting.

KARL staff Jill Zimmerman and Susan Sankey followed Farlee to discuss how to get the most out of each KARL seminar.   Leadership roles and expectations were discussed. Topics including dress code expectations, utilization of name badges, punctuality, usage of technology, identifying Alpha Mates, the act of writing thank you notes, and alcohol use were all covered. Additionally, KARL class members were encouraged to post and share of social media channels, using the hashtag #KARLXV.

KARL class members were then excused to prepare to leave for Kniebel Cattle Company where Kniebel Cattle Co., Downey Ranch, and Ginger Kopfer sponsored a dinner and social. KARL alumni shared their reflections and beliefs in the KARL program. Trevor McKeeman, Ken Woods and Sara Dawson spoke on a panel to share how their KARL experiences have impacted their lives and businesses prior to KARL Class XV members returning to Rock Springs for the evening.

Genesis Day Three
Saturday, August 24
Submitted by: Garrett Reiss

We started off the day with a reflection of everyone’s key take away from the day before. What stood out to me was all the different points and epiphanies that people found. There was not much overlap and it was very good to hear everyone’s point of view. A key point was the impact that the dry milk facility has had in Kansas and how this was a result of a vision from over 30 years prior. Another key takeaway was that Cathy with Dauntless Leadership shared a way to lessen your adrenaline and get back to logical thinking and away from emotions. The last thing that multiple people shared was about perspective and how KARL helps you broaden your vision and see the other side. The best part of this session was seeing the comfort level of the group change from the prior day. You could clearly see the level of conversation getting deeper and the closeness of the group increased immensely just over a couple of short days. 

In our next session, we heard from Steve Baccus and Doug Hofbauer. They gave us some insight into what to try and get out of the KARL program and what the next two years have in store for us. Steve said he was impressed with the class members’ perspectives and our ability to share them. He also noted that we seemed to build great cohesion between the class. He remembered a KARL ad that he saw a long time ago and it said KARL would broaden your horizon and he feels that this is still true today. Doug noted that he was envious of the opportunity that the class has as he was never in the KARL program but now serves on the board. In a question and answer session with Steve and Doug they voiced that the vision for KARL has stayed the same in their opinion, but the inner workings of the class have changed over time with a shift in the culture to push the outer limits and challenge status quo more than in the past. 


Lastly, we finished with Jill and Susan talking to the class about expectations, goal setting, standards, and mentoring. In this session, we watch a video of Mike Krzyzewski about leadership. Mike stated that a leader’s goal is to put people in a position to win and create a culture of success. The most important thing a leader can do is engage with people, listen, and always tell the truth. Every great team must have trust, if a team has trust then the team acts like one. 


Challenges for Class XV

• Steve challenged us to take advantage of the opportunity before us and let it shape the rest of our lives.
• Jancy Hall, from last year’s class, challenged us to be a super-inclusive class and truly connect to each person in the class as we all can learn from one another. 
• Susan challenged us to open up and connect with our classmates and to push our comfort zone.

Economic Development – Garden City

Economic Development Day One
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Submitted by Karly Frederick

After a typical Kansas fall temperature drop, the KARL class XV members arrived at the Clarion Inn & Conference Center ready for the second seminar of our KARL experience to begin. The chair for the day, JR Robl, welcomed the group to Garden City and Western Kansas. We started off with a review of the Genesis Seminar and the standards that the team set for our two-year journey. Continuing the welcome wagon, Ray Purdy, welcomed the class and shared some KARL expectations such as stating our name before asking a question and wearing our nametag on the correct side. 

Matt Allen, Garden City City Manager, kicked things off with an overview of Garden City’s history. James and William Fulton founded Garden City in 1877. Entrepreneurship was instilled in the city from early times, attributed to CJ Buffalo. One of the pivotal elements of a city surviving is access to water. The evolution of water and irrigation methods evolved over Garden City’s history; from ditch irrigation, flood irrigation, then finally to center pivot irrigation. When flood irrigation grew in popularity, so did the agricultural industry. The growth was felt by the feedlot and packing plant sectors and continued with the world’s largest packing plant, IBP, being built outside of Garden City. With so many job opportunities in the area, Garden City became a hub for immigrants from across the world. This has created a diverse and humming community that is home to more than 56 languages and dialects. Matt shared a very impactful statement about diversity, “Diversity is the soul of our community, our people, our differences, our similarities, our unity. However we struggle with if our unity is conditional”.  I think everyone can relate to that statement and how badly we want that unity. 

After this robust welcome, we dove into our first panel session, which was centered on the foundation of Garden City. Lonna DuVall, President of Finney County Economic Development, moderated the panel, which consisted of Bob Kreutzer of Tatro Plumbing, Lee Reeves of Reeves Cattle, and Alan McEntee of DFA. The conversation started with each of the men explaining more about their backgrounds and history of their businesses. Lonna led the panel through questions about natural resources and water use, ethanol, and Bob’s experience serving on the Governor’s council for education. There was a clear theme amongst their sentiments about Garden City’s ability to not only survive but thrive- the various stakeholders for the city have to come together and communicate to solve and grow the city. 

The panel that followed was moderated by Lonna DuVall as well and was a panel on education. The panel participants consisted of Dr. Ryan Ruda the President of Garden City Community College, Dr. Steve Karlin the superintendent of Garden City Schools, and Dr. Scott Myers the superintendent of Holcomb Schools. The theme of industry and stakeholders coming together for the best for the area continued to ring true. The three panelists made a point that the education system in a town is one of those key stakeholders as education is a driver of economic vitality and stability. An example they discussed was communicating with a new business that is locating in Garden City and the high school working with them to create a career pathway that feeds specifically into that business. Dr. Myers said, “School needs to be designed for more than just teaching, we have to help kids meet Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs because kids experience trauma and we must help them feel safe before they can learn, find their passion, and then find self-actualization.” After interacting with this group it is clear that they all work together and work with the economic development team and that more cities need to take this approach. 

The last panel for the day was moderated by KARL alum, Charlie Sauerwein of WindRiver Grain. The panel consisted of Michael Feltman of Feltman Law, Trista Brown-Priest of Cattle Empire, and Amro Samy of Clarion Inn. It is clear that Garden City is an extremely diverse community with many immigrants, documented and undocumented. The heart of the conversation during this panel was that the people that are here are good and kind people doing what is best for their family. It takes business owners, legislatures, voters, and advocates to stand behind these families and make change. The goal is to find a solution for immigration in this country because what is happening now is not working. Amro, who goes by Samy, shared several personal anecdotes about supporting his employees and his emotional tie as he is an immigrant himself from Egypt. Michael offered a lawyer’s perspective and I would argue, a perspective soaked in compassion. Michael Feltman mentioned several times section 245i and encouraging our lawmakers to reinstate that. This section is essentially a fine for overstaying visas instead of being essentially, “banned” from entering the country for 10 years. The panel was concluded with Trista explaining the need for immigrants because the agricultural industry needs hardworking and good people more than ever. 

The last session before the reception the class got to meet Dr. Billy Zanolini of Texas A&M for, “Telling Your Story is Not Enough”. After some casual football chatter, it did not take Dr. Zanolini long to get us laughing and then quickly getting ‘real’ with us. Dr. Zanolini challenged the group with question after question about controversial agricultural topics. It wasn’t just a simple question, he played the role of all stances on agricultural that we would view as “Anti-ag”. Some of these topics consisted of Artificial Insemination, GMOs, mismanagement of water, subsidies, dehorning cattle, and more. You could feel the awkwardness; the frustration, the confusion, the hesitation to speak up and we learned so much in a short amount of time. We learned that we have to have a conversation with folks different than us and be ready to talk about these hard topics. This all came down to the conclusion that we must focus on working with people in the movable middle to make a change.

The evening festivities began with a reception consisting of KARL alumni and supporters. Dinner was served and in true Garden City fashion, it was a corn-fed and juicy steak! JR introduced Dr. Zanolini for “Telling Your Story is Not Enough Part 2”. Dr. Zanolini took a much different approach in this setting. He set the scene by explaining how Part 1 went and explaining how hard these topics are because ‘ag people’ are really good at talking our own language. We must frame things differently and change the way we talk about these issues. Dr. Zanolini went onto explain how they are attempting to make an impact on this in Texas through their 4-H organization. Texas 4-H has created a student ambassador program that trains students on these ag issues, public speaking skills, and running 4-H events. The goal of this program is to expand to urban kids and even international kids as well. It was clear that everyone in the room came away with the desire to strike up a conversation about food and ag on our next grocery store trip. 

Garden City was a whirlwind seminar full of so much industry knowledge, so many connections made, and so many life experiences gained. It was truly a special experience to feel the love and support of the KARL program by western Kansas.

Economic Development Day Two
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Submitted by Andrew Ochampaugh

Day two in Garden City for our class began with a brisk November morning on Brookover Ranch Feed Yard, located just southeast of Garden City. We were welcomed into Brookover by Mark Bose, Bruce Conrady, and Brian Price, all managers within the Brookover Companies. Brookover Feed Yards, Inc. is a renowned pioneer of the commercial cattle feeding industry since the establishment of its first commercial yard in 1951. Today, Brookover operates two strategically located feed yards with a total feeding capacity of 80,000 head. In addition to the feed yards, Brookover operates a liquid feed supplement production facility in Sublette and also manages a total of 23,000 acres of grass and farm ground in Finney County.

It takes a lot of resources to keep an operation like Brookover running, mainly: water, feed, and the right people. At the south feed yard where we visited, water can be found at just 90’ below the surface and It doesn’t just get used once, 82% of the water being consumed at Brookover is recycled water from within the operation. The cattle are fed a diet that consists partly of feed produced at Brookover facilities and dry distillers’ grain from area ethanol plants. Pens are ridden daily to observe, pull and treat sick cattle immediately. Sick cattle are moved through a treatment program based on the specific diagnoses then moved to a recovery pen that allows the animal to readjust to ration and environmental conditions like their own pens. To achieve the best animal stewardship and feed conversion, Brookover uses well-designed feed bunks to ensure timely feeding. Waterers are cleaned on a regular basis. Pen drainage is superb and the yard is cleaned continuously, which can improve cattle performance by up to 20 percent. Sales of finished cattle are an integral part of commercial cattle feeding. Brookover is ideally located within a 60-mile radius of five major packers with a combined capacity of 20,000 head per day. Since 1951, many transformations have occurred in the beef cattle industry. While Brookover has evolved to meet the needs of the ever-changing marketplace, it has remained family-owned and dedicated to operational excellence, the community, and its people.

From Brookover Ranch, we traveled just 5 miles Northwest to the newly built Dairy Farmers of America Garden City production plant. DFA Garden City is a partnership between DFA and 12 of its member farms in Southwest Kansas and helps support the industry’s continued growth in the region, as well as meet the rising demand for U.S. dairy both domestically and globally. Our class split up into a couple of smaller groups to tour DFA and Mies & Sons Trucking, LLC located on the same campus.

Jerry Mies grew up on his parents’ dairy farm in West Wichita, Kansas. In 1984, after his parents sold the family farm, Jerry started hauling milk for a distant relative. He picked up the milk from numerous traditional family dairy farms in and around Sedgwick County, Kansas. As the years went by, Jerry’s hard work and determination eventually opened an opportunity for him and his wife, Cathy, to purchase their first truck and milk tanker. It was in February 1991, that Mies & Sons Trucking was established! The name, Mies & Sons, was taken from the name of the farm where he grew up, Mies & Sons Dairy. Mies & Sons Trucking, LLC has grown and evolved with the changes in the transportation and dairy industries. In 2017, when DFA moved to Garden City, Mies & Sons Trucking was awarded the contract to haul milk into the new plant and that is when the Garden City location was established. In addition to the office staff, to keep the 24/7 facility running, Mies & Sons employees 6 in-house mechanics and 5 wash bays. Their operation in Garden City houses a 6-bay mechanic shop, full truck wash, driver shower facilities, parts room, and of course a full fueling station to keep their fleet of over 70 trucks on the road.

At DFA, Vicki Steffens, the Plant Financial Analyst, welcomed us into the conference room for some insight into what DFA Garden City plant does daily. This 267,000 square foot facility employs 76 people and processes approximately 4,000,000 lbs. of milk per day, all collected from within a 100-mile radius of Garden City. DFA is processing this milk 24/7 into two main products: dry milk powder and cream. The dry milk powder is often shipped to Kansas City before being loaded onto a train and then eventually onto a barge and sold into overseas markets. The 14 to 16 tankers of cream produced daily are also sold into both national and international markets. Milk is 87% water and so through these processes, DFA produces roughly 800,000 gallons of “Cow Water” daily. This water, often referred to as purple water, is available for many uses including irrigation in the area and many are hopeful that it will soon be potable and available for Garden City Municipal to use.

Next up for our class was the Tyson Meat Packing plant in Holcomb. Formerly IBP, this beef packing plant is one of the largest, employing 3,000 people and having the capacity to slaughter 2,000 head of cattle per day. Before the August 9^th fire that destroyed part of the harvest room and front line, this was the number one producing plant for Tyson in the US. We were greeted by Tony, the plant manager and a couple of his team members. Tony spent time talking with us about the fire, he explained to us about how well the emergency preparedness plans worked that his team had all spent hours practicing. Tony was out of town the night of the fire, but his assistant plant manager took the reins and made all the right decisions. Once the crews arrived and the Fire Chief took control of the scene, the Tyson Maintenance team helped the firefighters identify where the fire was at which allowed them to take steps to extinguish it. One of the biggest tools that they used was the ability to shift the direction of airflow in the plant by exhaust fan, this helped to control the fire while firefighters extinguished the blaze. The morning after the fire is when reality started to set in for everyone. The 3,000 employees of Tyson were wondering if they still had jobs, if the plant would be rebuilt, none of the employees knew what to think. It took a couple of days to work through how to make it all work, but Tyson management came out and decided that they will rebuild this plant and that all the full-time employees would stay on and be paid for 40 hours a week minimum until the plant is back on-line. This was a huge decision that directly impacts the whole community, Tony talked with our class about the importance of being prepared in emergency situations, not just physically but also prepared for employees and their livelihood. Following this discussion, we broke up into a couple of small groups to tour the plant and better understand the process. This was my first time inside a meatpacking plant, and I was blown away! I could not believe the sheer size, capacity, and cleanliness of the facility. Walking through each of the stations and understanding how each cut of meat gets completed and then packaged and shipped, it was fascinating and yet also quite humbling. This plant is a major hub and key partner for southwest Kansas and the Holcomb/Garden City communities, Tony invited us to come back and take a tour when they are in full production and I am thinking we just might need to take him up on that.

Following Tyson, we traveled to the Sunflower Electric Holcomb Station for a working lunch. Here we learned about the 420-employee strong, not-for-profit co-op that sends power through-out 32 counties in Kansas known as Sunflower Electric Power Corporation. Jana Horsfall, the VP for Corporate Services, gave us a more in-depth look at where this power comes from and how it all is dispersed. There are 6 member-owners in the state that help manage the 124 substations that distribute and step-down the power to different communities in Western Kansas. Natural Gas is the main source of power and accounts for 58 percent of Sunflower’s Power Portfolio, however, Coal power from the Holcomb Station still plays a critical role and accounts for just shy of 27 percent of the portfolio. This station is powered from coal that is mined out of the Powder River Basin in Southeast Wyoming and travels by rail to Holcomb.

After lunch we heard from LeAnn Brown, Manager of Organizational Development, she spoke with our class about Sunflower’s Leadership Program and about Sunflower Electric’s Leadership Competency Model. The expectation is for all employees to exhibit the core values: Technical Competency, Respect and Dignity, Accountability, Integrity, Trustworthiness and Servant Leadership. It was impressive to see the amount of effort and care that Sunflower puts into its employees. “When we combine all employees’ strengths and talents, we have a more efficient, effective organization.” 

After wrapping up our discussion with Jana and LeAnn, we went to the Garden City Water Park to hear about Economic Development and the growth in Finney County from Lona DuVall, the president of Finney County Economic Development. Lona spoke with us about the importance of immigration to Finney County, over 50% of the population is Hispanic. She explained to us what a Healthy Population Pyramid looks like and why that is critical to be a sustainable community. She also helped us better understand what it takes a complete team pulling in the same direction to accomplish some of the projects that have happened in Finney County. It takes communication between administration officials and companies, honesty with each other, and perseverance to get the job done, no matter what. Garden City and Finney County are perfect examples of what can happen when people decide to work together for the greater good and use the resources at hand to make something positive happen.

Larry & Becky Jones, who live outside of Holcomb, were gracious enough to invite our class into their home for supper that evening, and we enjoyed some delicious Brisket. Larry graduated from Class II of KARL and is an ardent supporter of the program. After supper, we heard from Dr. Mel’s on the Intangibles to Success in Life & Leadership. Dr. Mel’s talked about the importance of being true to yourself and your team. “You must be honest with the people around you if you expect them to give you their all.” He shared a couple of personal stories that helped us relate to what he meant. Following the discussion with Dr. Mel’s, we headed east back to the hotel and arrived around 9:30 pm.

It was a long day that was full of information and experiences that will take time to fully digest but overall, I cannot believe what is happening in Southwest Kansas. Before this Session, I did not fully understand the amount of diverse industry happening in Finney County and what it takes to make it all happen. It is truly an inspiring story of determination, grit, and community.

Economic Development Day Three
Friday, November 8, 2019
Submitted by Jessica Ebert

Our last day in western Kansas was kicked off by touring Royal Farms Dairy by Kyle Averhoff, Co-owner, and manager. There are currently two locations that employ 85 people milking 9,000 cows and have 9,500 replacement heifers. Kyle is the third generation to milk cows. He believes it is good to do things very young. Whether that is to work, borrow money, run machinery, etc. All dairies believe this.

He grew up in Stephenville, Texas and went to Tarleton, University. To further his education, he went to Florida for his masters. He started his career working for Monsanto in California before moving back to Kansas.

He wanted to run Royal Farms like he owned it and if it didn’t work then fire him. The dairy is running with these concepts. Be full, Be ethical, and good morals. Here at Royal Farms, they milk 6,500 cows and their other location Noble Dairy milks 2,500 cows. Recently they have purchased the farming operations from Irisk and now farm and milk at both locations. Producing 20,000 million gallons of milk a day milking 24 hours a day.

We believe in core principals to move ahead and for this culture. Take great care of cows and people. Their 85 employees are Latino, Guatemalan, and Mexican. Make sure it is done right. Execute Perfection. Good Ethics. They have a low turn over today due to building the culture up. They are Christian based. Operate with humility and very humble.

In 1999, there were 65,000 dairy farms in the US. In 2018, there were only 38,000 dairy farms in the US. That is an 8 ½ percent reduction in dairies. They are doing it with the same number of cows because they are passionate and love what they do. Add more cows and build more barns to continue to grow.

• There are 30 to 35 dairies’ in Kansas.
• Not a lot of Latino ownership in the dairy’s, still privately owned. The Latinos are in management positions making 100k to 200k a year.
• The winter of 2019 was a half-million to a million-dollar winter. Kyle was leading by example to keep employees moral up to get them through the tough winter. The first one there and the last one to go home. Twenty years and never have killed a cow.
• Labor is a constant struggle. Normally an increase of 3 to 4 percent increase in wages work but last year they had to go up 15 percent. Pay all of the insurance and have 401k’s. They are big on immigration reform. The starting wage is $40,000 and if you are experienced it is $50-60,000.
• Immigration solution is not a one solution fix we have ones that want to work and go back and there are ones that want to stay here. There needs to be a program for the solution. We want the people that want a better future and to better themselves not just the highly educated.
• What makes western Kansas great is it is not just farm ground. It is dairies, feed yards, oil, wind, packing houses, etc. For economic development, we need to get over the, not in my back-yard attitude. Don’t look at skin color and language, get over it, they are trying to live a better life.
• In the milking parlor, they wash every day two different times for 30 minutes at a time. They run two twelve-hour shifts milking 24/7. With a $5 million dollar milking barn you need to milk
• 24/7 to make it work. We milk 120 cows at a time, turn about 5 times an hour. It takes 4 to 6 ½ minutes to milk a cow. She will produce 80 lbs. or 9 ½ gallons. The farm is producing 60,000 gallons a day. Today they are producing 1 to 1 ½ lbs more milk by genetic gain. The milk is 80- 85% water, 4% butterfat, and 3% protein. The farm is a partner with DFA. The milk goes into the receiving room into 500-gallon tanks. It goes through a milk filter to get hair, dirt, etc out then to pasteurization. The milk comes out of the cow at body temp of 100 degrees then is 35 to 39 degrees when it goes into the tank at 66 gallons a minute. The truck holds 6,000 gallons. They test each truck for food safety antibiotics. The test leaves the dairy and takes 24 hours to get results. There are 10 trucks loaded out a day here and 4 loads at Noble dairy. The dairy owns the trailers and Meis trucks haul them.
• The cows stay in open dry lots with shade for them. They have a consulting vet one day a month for teaching employees to A.I., palpate, and give vaccines. The pens are 600 square feet per pen for the older cows and 250 square feet per animal for the young heifers. They have 2 feet of bunk per cow. They do not dock tails they trim switches.
• Technology is still a struggle. They have lots of data, struggling with the integration of the data. They are not the inventors we are early adopters. Milking cows with a robot is here in the industry but Royal Farms is not sure it is right for them.
• How did the Fair Oaks deal affect you? It happens every day. Death, Down cows. The videos were not normal. Here at our operations, we have made a policy. If you ever see anything please call or tell us. We want to take the best care of our cows.
• How much water do they use? They use it multiple times before they use it to irrigate with it. For example, 180-acre feet is normal a year for corn. They use 3 ½ circles of groundwater is what they use compared to 1 circle of corn.
• The average life span of a cow is 2 1 /2. One lactation to seven lactations. The cows are held, worked, bred all in the dry lot pens.
• The lagoon depth is 26 feet and to groundwater, it is 200 feet down.
• When they A.I. they use sexed semen for their replacement heifers to retain ownership. On the older cows, they use beef cross semen to sell the calves to a feed yard.
• The dairies have to market their milk because it has to have a home every day to sell. The beef cows are marketing every week to go to a feed yard.
• The silage they grow on the farm is used to feed from 3 am to 8 pm at night in a feed ration.
• The manure is used to fertilize their ground, about 60 to 70 tons a year and their lagoon water as well is used for fertilizer.
• On their farm they grow milo, corn silage, triticale silage, alfalfa haylage on the first 2-3 cuttings then goes to dry hay bales.
• The dairy brings in a nutritionist one day a month to consult with.
  

WindRiver Grain, LLC was our next stop for a tour. Charlie Sauerwein, Adam Watson, and Jeff Huggard graciously showed us around their grain bins and their operation. WindRiver Grain is a grain facility and 110 car BNSF mainline shuttle loader, focused on loading wheat and milo units to the gulf. Our current licensed storage capacity is 8,706,000 bushels. We are a relationship-based company that takes great pride in creating long-term partnerships and delivering value to our customers. The company was founded on September 17, 1997, as the first joint venture of its kind with Cargill, Inc. and four other local companies. WindRiver Grain operates as a stand-alone company with an entrepreneurial spirit. Most of our employees have agricultural backgrounds and enjoy serving ag customers.

They have the following grain companies as their owners. Cargill AgHorizons, Garden City Co-op, Inc., Sublette Cooperative, Inc., Irsik and Doll, and Scott Coop.

They also have Kansas Grain Inspection Service on-site providing grain grading services to WindRiver Grain.

Bonanza BioEnergy – Conestoga Energy Partners was up next for our tour. Jeff Gilbert, Plant Manager gave an overview of what they do.

2007

• Bonanza Bioenergy, LLC begins operation in Garden City, Kansas. The ethanol plant has a production capability of 55 million gallons per year.
• Arkalon Ethanol, LLC begins operation in Liberal, Kansas. The ethanol plant has a production capacity of 110 million gallons per year.

2012

Conestoga Energy takes over the management of Diamond Ethanol in Levelland, Texas. The ethanol plant has a production capacity of 40 million gallons per year.

2013

Bonanza Bioenergy begins using Syngenta Enogen® corn, the first grain bioengineered specifically for the ethanol industry.

2014

Arkalon Ethanol and Bonanza Bioenergy plants merge. Bonanza Bioenergy begins corn oil extraction.

2017

• Conestoga Energy acquires VicNRG, LLC (Victory Renewables), a leading marketing, distribution and terminal operating company for biodiesel—enabling Conestoga and Victory Renewables to better serve the needs of our customers in the energy and agriculture sectors.
• They make Ethanol-alcohol made by grain using milo and corn from WindRiver Grain. The values and culture is Passion, Accountability, Integrity, and Caring for People.
• The plant shuts down for a week in the spring and the summer both.
• The plant receives 80 trucks of grain and ships 50 trucks ship out distillers a day.
• The biggest driver for Ethanol is the economy/economics. The commodity price and EPA waiver by Trump.
• Only take good quality grain no trash.
• GMO corn – enzymes within the corn to help pay .40 cent premium with a farmer they contract with.
• They have been reinvesting in safety, equipment, and people. The plant is incident-free now for 3-4 years.
• They employee 39 people. Low turnover, less than 15 percent in the last year. The average salary is $15/hour.
• The plant sells dry pellets from DDG. They have 7 to 8 pellet types. Dry 10-12% moisture, 36% protein, 9 ½ % fat. They don’t run the dryer very much. Wet cake is 65% with 5% moisture.
• Only 1 to 2% of DDG of production in the plant.
• They prefer corn to get in than milo because it converts easier.
• The water use is 60 gals/min. The cooling system is 200 gals/min. With this, they use 500,000 gallons a day and recycle the water.

TP & L was the last stop of our tour. Ryan Drummin the regional manager of Kansas, Nebraska, and North Dakota lead us through their operation.

• The company was started in 2012 with multi growth.
• There were 6 employees and rented only 10 acres. In 1-2 months they were asked to grow and bring in blades from Houston, Texas.
• Jan. 2013 there was a tax credit. 2014 went from 10-40 employees
• 2015 went to 55 employees and got another yard in Oklahoma.
• 2016 went from 66 employees to 130 employees and got another yard in Wy, ND, and NE.
• 2018 went to 168 employees and got another yard in Pueblo, CO.
• 2019 in January we had 189 employees. Last month we had 222 employees.
• There are 700 acres here in our yard in Garden City, Kansas with 7,000 components. GE develops the components and Vestas in Colorado does too.
• The PC tax credit in 2013 was 10% of the project.
• There are 700 complete turbines here in Garden City. 7000 turbines under the tax credit to get the credit.
• 1 turbine tower costs $2 million includes to get it up and running on a wind farm. 3 to 4 mg watt costs $3-4 million in the states.
• 6-8 mg watts are offshore.
• The average is 300 feet long. The average weight is 115,000 lbs for middle leg, 80,000 for top leg, and 140,000 for the base leg. The blades weigh 30,000 lbs. The hubs are 64,000 lbs. The top engine is 140,000 lbs.
• In the Garden City, Kansas location they have 71 employees. Riggers, Crain operators, site receivers, and maintenance for things every 90 days.
• The life span of a turbine is 15-20 years.
• When they are done the repurpose – repower them with bigger watts. It cost $750,000 to do that. Towers come from China, blades from Korea but the majority comes from across the US.
• There are 40-50 trucks a day leaving the yard here.
• It takes 2 to 2 ½ days to unload the train when they bring them in. The busiest days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
• The longest a part stays in the yard is 4 years.
• Blades are 66 to 40 meters and the height is 80 to 120 meters. Offshore the blades are 74 meters and they use ships to get them there.
• Skilled positions – Crain operators are hard to find. They work their way up within the company. They make $24-$36/hour.
• Labor force – work on retention, develop within and keep local. They have 9 Crain operators on staff now.
• They do not own any of the products and self-insurance from owners.

Personal Development – Norton

Day One – Personal Development
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Submitted by Stewart Cauble, Liberal

Introduction to Norton was given by Mike Posson (Norton City/County Economic Development) Mike Norton Grew up in Kansas was working in Canada in the oil and gas industry and moved back home to take care of his parents and family farm.   Mike is most proud of the Honor Hunts which enable disable Veterans to take part in different types of hunts and encourages everyone to expand their leadership skills giving you more tools in your toolbox. 

Cathy McClain Dauntless Leaders  Cathy visited us once again after the Genesis Seminar.  

• Relationship styles matter. When dealing with others and especially significant others sometimes it’s better to “take a walk” and work it out.
• Personality can affect the bottom line.

Leaders can work with others on the other side of the spectrum.  We broke down into groups and had discussions.   

• What are your Strengths? -Play to your Strengths.
• What can you do??
  • Identify your triggers and avoid the Dark/Bad side of your personality.
  • Recognize only you can affect your behavior.
  • Think of something you are grateful for and take 3 Deep Breaths.

Betsy  Wearing from Dane G Hansen Foundation
The foundation started 1965 and serves 26 Counties in NW Kansas


Friend of Dwight D Eisenhower.

• Long Term Goals:    1. Reverse Population Decline. 2. Increase Economic Opportunities. 3. Strengthen Critical areas. 
• Annual Total Grant amount of 20-23 Million dollars
• Grants range from $200-1 million dollars in a range 

Current Projects:

• NW KS Roads
• Reading Initiatives
  • Dolly Parton reach out and read
  • Turn a Page
  • Summer Reading Grant

• NW Kansas Learns 
  • Cosmosphere
  • Eisenhower Library
  • Kansas Historical
  • Rolling Hills
  • Kansas Learning Center
• NW Kansas Arts
  • Creede Repertory 
  • Lovewell Institute of Creative Arts
  • NW Arts and Events Grants
  • Tell Our Story: NW KS Today
    • 2 issues: 93,000 Copies per quarter to 26 counties
• NON-Traditional Scholarship’s:  Nursing
• Childcare
• Community internship programs provide housing and pay working with employers

Focusses on What wants people to come home, bringing them home and keeping them home.

• Ben Winchester rural Sociologist uses rural population gain/decrease as it applies to a number of housing units vs the general population.
• Stressed importance of the census

Brings questions:

• What Could we do?
• What Should we do?
• What Will we do?

NW KS Economic Innovation:

• Private Economic development funded in part by Hansen
• Loan pool of approximately 4 million dollars
• Rural and Remote Initiative opportunity to come back home
  • Uses Computer programing (1Million unfilled jobs in the U.S.)
  • 28 people enrolled launched 7 months ago
  • Success stories where the Husband was taking classes and spouse was working remote. 

Bill Riley (Boards Manship) Presented us with a compendium on nonprofit board participation

• Culture eats strategy for Breakfast
• Role of a committee -Needs more thought on what and how they function and what is their purpose.
• The dilemma of leadership – Democratic vs Doctorial
• Board is a circle- Sets Policy
• Fiduciary
  • Financial Security
  • Ethical Operation
  • Advancement of the mission
• Board Recruitment
  • Identification
  • Cultivation
  • Recruitment
  • Assimilation

Day Two – Personal Development
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Submitted by Justin Kastner, Manhattan

KARL Class XV session: Professional Development (Norton, Kansas)

Susan Sankey alerted the KARL class to an online resource: the Kansas Association of Community Foundations website (to be posted in the Facebook group), which details the transfer-of- wealth potential for each county in Kansas, and the relevance/importance of such campaigns as “Keep 5 in Kansas.”

Susan also reiterated the importance of completing post-seminar evaluations, which are used for improvement. She then facilitated an activity to help the KARL executive team prepare for the Topeka and Washington, D.C. sessions. She divided the class into four groups to brainstorm and discuss “issues” that we ought to focus on when our KARL class meets with public officials. Four groups then worked through the following:

KEY ISSUES: Key issues prioritized (each group arrive at top 3)

• Then identify/speculate on who are the influencers (local, state, regional, and international)

The groups worked for approximately one-half hour, and then at 8:46 am, spokespersons reported their top-three prioritized issues (summarized in the following table):

Yellow group	Green group	Red group	Blue group
Healthcare	Childcare/education	Connectivity	Consolidation (of government services)
Rural depopulation (education funding, water, broadband, etc.)	Connectivity/ communication	Healthcare	Rural housing
Civil discourse	Trade policy (commodities, markets, and transportation)	Rural prosperity (economic development)	Healthcare policy and accessibility

Susan also solicited feedback from class members regarding whether we would each like to meet with our delegation/representatives or others in Topeka and DC; class members can individually confer with Susan and Jill about this.

Debra T. noted that it would be good, appropriate, and timely in Topeka to hear a briefing on the state’s strategic plan for economic development; it was suggested that such a briefing might include a meeting with the consultants assisting with the plan.

Jill instructed class members to individually reach out and make our own appointments with our state delegations/representatives/senators for Topeka-based meetings on Thursday, January 16th (10:30 am – 1:00 pm); appointments may be made either legislative officials or other relevant officials, lobbyists, etc. That day will feature a “lunch on your own,” and class members can schedule individual or group meetings during the 10:30-1:00 timeframe; after 1 pm that day, we will all reconvene for everyone to share what they learned in their meetings. Note: When KARL class members reach out to legislative or other government-affiliated personnel, we can introduce our entire (professional and personal) interests, including that we are in the KARL program.

Julia Nelson (Risk Management/HR, Nelson Ag Companies) related to “Culture and Onboarding,” with Terry Nelson, Janet Sell, and Anita assisting. Terry opened up with a question/poll:

“Envision yourself 10 years from now…how many employees will your company have?” For the sake of the activity, Terry explained that the more employees you have, the more you will (for the sake of the activity) get paid (because risk equals reward). A quick poll was taken, and the class voted on their preferred number of employees: 15 votes for 10 employees, 3 votes for 100 employees, 4 votes for 1,000 employees, and 4 votes for 10,000 employees.

Terry explained that in his firm, “If you are in charge of somebody, you get leadership training every month.”

Julia began her remarks by referring to a binder containing several handouts; she first introduced the concepts of “Onboarding” and “Culture.” She reviewed the seven values of the Nelson Ag Entities Company Culture. Julia then talked about onboarding (what is it and why do we do it?), emphasizing that “organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.” She also reminded the group of a truism: “People join companies, but they leave managers.” Julia then walked the group through Nelson Ag’s Onboarding Plan and New Hire Paperwork (two distinct features in the binder of handouts).

Jackie M. asked a question about “what things does Nelson Ag do to get people to understand the value of the leadership training?” Julia answered with an emphasis on the ‘why,’ and one success story of how she won over a skeptic.

Terry chimed in with a reference to Nelson’s use of “performance coaches.” To understand what a “performance coach” is, Terry encouraged the group to watch Billions, Season 1, Episode 11.

Anthony S. asked a question about “why Nelson Ag invested in a leadership program,” and Terry answered by pointing to the importance of getting buy-in (and guarding against dissension) amongst the ‘key team at the top’ of the organization. Terry briefly responded, and then another response was offered by John Worden (COO, McPherson Hospital), who said it was important to have not only task- based work, but a true leadership culture.

Beth W. asked, “Who are your mentors/resources for developing this leadership program?” Terry pointed to some “Crucial Conversations” and “Crucial Accountability” programs, which are week-long programs.

Terry said we are going to learn about a business leadership model (i.e., the Team Bus Model; see late- afternoon session below) after an interactive activity (to take place later).

“Authentic Leadership – Defining your leadership style.”

He opened by declaring, “I am not a sage on a stage,” and encouraged interactive discussion. True knowledge happens through interactions, and everyone can “teach others” through your expertise

John’s talk began with Part I – Strengths and Managing Oneself

With respect to the leadership skill of being self-aware, John asked the class members how we best do the following:

• Communicate? (written or spoken)
• Learn? (do it, see it, hear it, read it)
• Get our point across?

John noted the rise of the effectiveness of online videos for communicating and learning.

John then reviewed the value of such assessment tools as Myers-Briggs, True Colors, KAI (featuring an adaptive-innovative continuum), and Strengths Finder, all of which are personality tests that help us to become more self-aware. He noted that we can use these insights to build teams with complementary strengths. John, with input from the KARL class, also pointed to a few other ways to assess strengths:

• DISC assessments
• Building relationships through outings
• Feedback (performance reviews, peers, mentors)
• Outcomes (self-reflection of expected versus actual results); what am I effective at? John then posed these questions:
• What makes you feel successful?
• What are you drawn to and you don’t know why?
• What fully engages your thoughts?
• What makes you feel energized and fulfilled after doing it?

John then walked through a series of slides highlighting key skills needed if you want to lead: bring your passion, cultivate your reputation, display a seriousness of purpose and professionalism and have a sense of humor, responsibility, continue to grow, and take care of your team.


To close out Part 1, John emphasized the importance of both IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient, a measure of one’s emotional intelligence).

Leadership Styles and Results

John stressed that you want to avoid certain leadership styles—the “pacesetter,” “coercive.” More positively, he then highlighted some good, valid styles—the “role model,” “democratic,” “coaching,” and “affiliative”

Core Values

During this segment, John encouraged the class members to clarify their ethical/moral values. To extend this segment, at 11:07 am John divided the class into five groups for a group exercise, related to our “hidden talents,” and “core values.” After the groups met, there was a report-out, and each class member shared one talent and one core value.

The following hidden talents were reported out: writing (grants), photography (of rural scenes), strategizing to build funding for nonprofits, listening, cautiousness, driving combines, treating others the best I can, hospitality, helping and serving others, working with and sorting cattle, off-road truck racing, shearing sheep, waterskiing and surfing, cooking (for hospitality), polka dancing, staying calm/steady and listening to others to settle-down situations, negotiating, coaching (basketball), being a generous friend, being a good bridesmaid, collecting information, figuring things out (making things work) with optimism and persistence, sitting and observing and inventorying and connecting with others, karaoking/reading teleprompters, fishing and finance, making pies, plumbing and electrical work, documenting one’s reading with software programs, making emergency decisions quickly, snail mail (making cards, writing handwritten notes, and mailing them), and finding people’s emotional cues and honing in on them (finding what makes people ‘tick’).

The following core values were mentioned: altruistic, security/family/tradition, dependability, commerce, altruism and care for others above self, recognizing others’ dignity, honesty and integrity, team-work, security/tradition/power, power/commerce/tradition, growth/improvement, being just and fair in the treatment of people, the ability-to-sleep-at-night (peace of mind), power, aesthetics, honesty/ loyalty, helping people, honesty, science/logical, truism, science, honesty and dependability, science/altruistic/aesthetics (with ethics at the core), and commitment.

In closing, John noted that the following traits require no talent:

• Be on time
• Be prepared
• Be honest
• Give it your best effort (work ethic)
• Be coachable
• Do extra (do one more)
• Positive attitude
• Have passion

John also pointed to a “Top ten” multi-folded card, tucked inside the handout binders, and encouraged everyone as homework to write down their top ten core values.

Lee Ann Shearer provided at 1 pm an overview and tour of the They Also Ran gallery honoring losers of U.S. presidential races.

“Creating High Reliability Teams.”

In his remarks, John described a “Safe and Reliable Culture Maturity Model” that includes the following progressive stages:

• Unmindful
• Reactive,
• Systematic (the point at which psychological safety can be secured]
• Proactive
• Generative (the highest stage)

John emphasized that both INTENTIONALITY and TIME are needed to move culture to the generative stage.

Terry assumed the mic, and launched a session related to “Common Workplace Behaviors and How to Manage.” In his session, Terry referred to a ‘cheat sheet’ in the binder of handouts (under the ‘workplace behaviors’ tab) with the following workplace behaviors: Passive, Assertive, Aggressive, and Passive-Aggressive. The class participated in a discussion about the characteristics of each of these four workplace behaviors.

Amongst other insights shared, Terry remarked that a huge task for a leader is discerning whether people who are passive are exhibiting passive behavior or passive-aggressive behavior. This requires discernment.

John noted that “aggressive” behavior is oftentimes a signal that the behaver has made their work about themselves (“it’s personal”) instead of the organization.

Terry, John, and Carolyn Harms (formerly of Spirit AeroSystems, presently, KARL Board of Directors) facilitated a lively interactive discussion with the class members on how to manage personnel exhibiting aggressive and passive-aggressive behavior.

Terry noted that because of passive-aggressive’s “victim” role being dominant in society, it is likely that approximately 50% of people work in the passive-aggressive mode.

The preferred behavior of aggressive (in contrast to the non-preferred trait of passive-aggressive) is characterized a person executing and being accountable; John and Terry emphasized, “If you are accountable 100% of the time, there is no way you are being passive-aggressive.” This is because passive-aggressive behavior oftentimes features making excuses or not admitting failures (not being accountable).

John then divided the class into four groups, with each group doing the following:

• Discuss real-life (drawn from the group members’ workplace experiences) passive-aggressive behavior observed
• Act out the behaviors.
• If time permits, discuss aggressive and passive behaviors, too.

At 3:25 pm, the groups returned to act out skits demonstrating examples of workplace-based passive-aggressive. They were insightful, theatrical, and hilarious! Terry and John facilitated a post-skit debrief/ discussion for each skit.

At 4:00 pm, Terry launched into a final session entitled “Who is on your bus?”

The session was focused on the business leadership model of the Team Bus (detailed in the binder of handouts, under the “Your Bus” tab), with (usually) a driver and five riders.

The driver (or coach or supervisor) does three things:

• Inspection
• Feedback (give down)
• Coaching

The rider (direct report) does two things:

• Feedback (give up)
• Receive coaching

To get to 10,000 employees, with every supervisor having 5 direct reports, six (6) ‘hierarchical’ levels would be needed.

Supervisors give hands (tools), head (attitude), and heart (“I care about you”) to their direct reports.

Terry shared how the Team Bus Model has been tremendously useful as a management tool at Nelson Ag.

He emphasized that coaches/drivers/supervisors should have no more than 5 direct reports. So, keep it at 5 (or, if you can, 4) direct reports.

Terry talked about Jack Welch (formerly, CEO of GE) coming to the conclusion of the exceptionally important HR office (where any employee could go), and the critical value offered by HR performance coaches (see Billions reference above).

Janet and Terry talked about using Excel forms to collect feedback data; feedback should also be provided in writing. Terry advocated that feedback be provided once/week (not just once/month).

Supervisors, Terry emphasized, should be available 24-7 (all the time).

Amongst several topics discussed, Terry and the group talked about riders being loaned to different drivers (inter-departmental transfers) and the challenges and opportunities therein.

You can have assistant managers (assistant drivers) in the model, too.

To complete the session, the binder’s handout “Cardinal Rules for Leaders” were read out and briefly explained by Terry. These helpful rules include, amongst others, “praise in public but coach in private,” “don’t ask someone to do a task without providing the proper training and tools,” “inspect and coach regularly,” and “80% of your time should be spent coaching your team” (but can include working alongside your team).

After a wonderful meal sponsored by Nelson Ag Companies at the home of Terry Nelson (25998 Highway 383, Almena, Kansas), Clarke and Julia Nelson provided a lessons-learned recap of the Husky Hogs fire that occurred in June 2017. Highlights of their presentation included the following:

• One of the keys to limiting the fire was turning off of all ventilation in the engulfed area.
• A regional/community response was also key to limiting the fire; 8 fire departments and 30 fire trucks responded to the disaster!
• Husky Hogs benefitted by immediately notifying their insurance company, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and other key stakeholders/resources.
• Clarke and Julia both emphasized the importance of documenting and demonstrating business- interruption losses, which were reported to the insurance firm.

Day Three – Personal Development
Friday, December 6, 2019
Submitted by Darci Cain, Hays

KARL Class XV session: Professional Development (Norton, Kansas)

KARL class XV began their final Friday in Norton by reviewing the resonating take-always from the previous sessions. Many in the class discussed how the Nelson family dynamics made an impression. Most notably was the quick rebuild, fire story and impressive pace at which the rebuild occurred, along with the crisis management protocol implemented as their organization continues to learn and improve. Several in the class also mentioned the discovery of hidden talents and how effective it was in relating more personally to each other. Such a simple exercise created a connection that will be valued. A few mentioned the exploration of various leadership styles and applying the personality traits personally and professionally.

The previous day also came with many quotes such as “reputation – a lifetime to build but it only takes moments to burn”, “let your integrity speak for itself”, and “put the right people on the bus”. A highlight was the discovery of the singing snowman in the restroom where our discussion was located on the Nelson farm.

After the debrief our class loaded a bus and enjoyed an extensive tour given by Terry, Clark, and Julia. The integration of the Nelson company and its ability to manage employees in several industries within agriculture such as farming, swine, beef, application services, and other areas was of benefit for our class to observe throughout the morning. We are grateful for the opportunity to ask questions, learn and engage with the Nelson family for the day.

State of the State – Topeka

Day One – State of the State
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Submitted by Jesse Muller, Liberty

KARL XV convened on January 15, 2020, at the Kansas Grain and Feed Association offices for the start of their State of the State Seminar.  Class member Darci Cain was the chairperson for the day. The class received a welcome from the Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Kansas Grain and Feed Association, who also sponsored the lunch.  

Alan Cobb, class VIII, President and CEO of Kansas Chamber of Commerce, visited with the class about the “State of the State of the Kansas Economy.” Mr. Cobb gave an overview of his background. Some snippets included:

• There are 81 members in the 105 counties in the KS Chamber of Commerce.
• Approximately 15% of the Kansas Economy is the aviation industry.
• Kansas always grows a little slower than the United States, but a very small percent growth year-over-year would be beneficial to the State.
• World, national, and state urban centers are growing, and it’s not going to change. The rural decline is happening and will continue unless we can find a driving force to keep or recruit others to our communities. 
• How much does good leadership matter? Look at the cowtowns of 1800-1900’s Kansas; Wichita found ways to recruit other businesses and forged a city. 

Mr. Cobb also spoke about something the class had heard at previous seminars: a shortage of workers.  Again, educating through training, community colleges, vocational & technical schools, universities, even high schools can contribute to this philosophy. One concern from employers is the lack of soft skills.


Patty Clark, Deputy Secretary of Kansas Department of Commerce, was also an original board member for the KARL organization.  Mrs. Clark provided an update on the Framework for Growth, an initiative that Governor Laura Kelly has undertaken. The last Framework for Growth was in 1986, and it’s time for a new road map for the economic development for our state.  In 2015-16, Kansas was the only state to have negative GDP growth. However, this can be reversed through workforce development. There has been growth in the technology industry in Wichita, and Kansas City is becoming a strong market for domestic and international headquarters. A key point Mrs. Clark made is to really dig down and look at the cost of living, is it really cheaper to live in a rural area versus urban location.

• Kansas City is centrally located with a nearby airport and several major roadways go through the area. Also, the quality of life, education, business services area, and the animal health corridor are assisting in this growth.
• Kansas is looking at how to retaining more degree holders and generate more life science and bio-science careers.
• By 2040, half of the Kansas population will be living in the Kansas City, Lawrence, and Wichita areas.  Therefore, we must look at stabilizing the rural populations, possibly through regional consensus and less city versus city or county situations.
• Making investments in rural Kansas creates a more vibrant Kansas economy.
• FILL OUT CENSUS! A re-occurring message that the class has heard.
• Lastly, Mrs. Clark talked about looking at what’s working for another state and develop a way to make it work in Kansas, aka Kansatize it.

Mr. Scott Sewell, Director of the Main Street Program, and started in this position in October 2019.  Prior to the termination of this program, 25 communities were part of the program. The program is a “self-help approach,” where they give the tools for the community to get the tasks done. This program is driven by the local people and will continue to be successful if the people invest and engage in their communities. 


Miss Jordan Hildebrand, class XIV, Tourism Marketing Manager for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT), provided an overview of the tourism opportunities in Kansas. There are roughly 30 state parks. KDWPT is partnering with the Kansas Department of Transportation to promote the scenic and historic byways in Kansas. Byways are looking for people to help promote and maintain the areas. There is an opportunity for some big growth in Agritourism in the western two-thirds of Kansas.  Remember the comparison of Kansas versus other states and the Globetrotters versus NBA, and how Kansas has unique, fun, and family-friendly places to explore.


Mr. Karl Elmshaeuser, Nebraska State Director for Rural Development, gave an interesting insight into how the USDA and other agencies can help develop our communities.  Do you remember how he started the talk? Influence: we all have it BUT how do we choose to use it.

• How do we define rural?  One way it was defined was: it is about people and their resiliency.
• No matter the size or money, a group of people with a common goal and grit will outperform others.
• Some examples that the office of rural development and USDA can assist with are ethanol plants, home repair, home loans, hospitals, and multi-family housing vouchers.
• If you don’t make changes, you will get left behind. 
• You don’t have to be a top dog to influence change.
• Remember his opening example… it’s not as it seems, don’t judge by how it looks.

That evening the class had supper at the historic Dillon House. It’s a beautiful house with an interesting history. Mr. Allen Cobb and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce sponsored the meal. Prior to the featured speaker, an announcement was made about the next seminar.  Kansas Farm Credit Systems is sponsoring Class XV to complete the Gettysburg Leadership Institute during the Washington, D.C. seminar. The Gettysburg Leadership Institute uses key aspects from the battlefield and corresponds them to leadership. Whether it’s General Buford’s strategic fight and withdrawal in an effort to hold the high ground on day 1 or General Lee and Longstreet’s decisions during the battle, there’s much that can be learned from a battle that may have been a turning point in the American Civil War.  Keynote Speaker Allie Devine presented a lively presentation on Ag law in Kansas. Her experiences and stories had everyone engaged. A couple of key points:

• We always follow someone good and fundamental leaders
• You never know what you’re going to do.
• We fought, so you can do this; so, don’t mess it up.

Class members had many questions for the presenters and found the day to insightful for the rest of the seminar. These questions and presentations led to discussions that would carry on throughout the week.  Many board members and supporters of the KARL program were in attendance for the dinner and part of the afternoon speakers.


Day Two – State of the State
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Submitted by Amy Doane, Downs

Class XV met at the capitol auditorium to begin day two of the Topeka seminar.

The first presentation was from staff at the Department of Education. Dale Dennis, deputy commissioner, division of fiscal administration, and Craig Neuenswander, director of school finance, spoke to the group about how aid is calculated for schools in Kansas.

The average size of a school district in the state is 550 students. Base aid is provided per student with additional aid for students below the poverty line, students who require transportation, students who need ESL support and school districts that have low enrollment (1,600 students).

Recently Kansas has seen some challenges funding education and has dealt with mid-year budget cuts at the state level. This means that school districts who have counted on funds coming in may not receive the amount they expected causing cuts locally.

Dennis and Neuenswander indicated that more often than not these cuts start with building/campus maintenance including custodial services. After several years of ignoring or cutting funds for maintenance projects, schools find themselves with inadequate facilities to service their communities and often go directly to the taxpayers for additional funding.

Class members asked if lottery money was set aside for education in Kansas the way it is in some other states. Lottery fund does not come directly to the education budget, but replacing general funds can have an impact on how much money is available for the state to allocate to education.

The state is required to pay 92% of extra cost for special education. Currently, the state has 75.3% of the funding required so it is not fully funding services for special education. These services are mandated and must be provided regardless of funding. The federal government is also not fully funding these services. Districts must pick up the additional costs for unfunded services.

School safety has become more of a topic in recent years. KSDE has two staff that are dedicated to safety. They work on issues ranging from earthquakes to school shootings.

Following the presentation from Dennis and Neuenswander, Class XV heard from three experts in ag trade associations and check-off organizations. Jancey Hall, Class XIV member and KARL board member, led a panel of Kenlon Johannes, CEO and commission administrator of Kansas Soybean Association, Matt Teagarden, CEO of Kansas Livestock Association, and Terry Holdren, CEO of Kansas Farm Bureau.

The three panelists gave brief overviews of their organizations. Teagarden said the goal of trade associations is to collectively do what can’t be done by individuals. KLA was started by a few ranchers near Emporia who were dealing with high freight rates and cattle theft. While the methods of changes, transportation and theft are still issues for the organization today. Policy issues are at the top of the list of member benefits when joining a trade association. Like other trade associations, KLA represents Kansans and deals with state issues. KLA is an affiliate of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which deals with federal issues and through that affiliation KLA gives Kansans a voice nationally.

Similarly, Johannes finds members of Kansas Soybean Association are interested in policy that affects their farm practices and income. In addition to his role as CEO of the trade association, Johannes is the commission administrator for the check-off organization. State check-off participation is voluntary and national check-offs are mandatory. Check-offs are different for nearly every commodity so rules and processes are also different, but funds collected from this program are supposed to be used to do promotion and research.

Holdren described KFB’s mission as advocate, educate, serve. KFB has been around since before the first farm bill in 1933. In 1920 what is now known as Farm Bureau Financial Services was formed as a subsidiary to provide insurance to members of the trade association. Today, KFB has 105,000 members across the state representing agriculture. Like KLA, KFB is an affiliate of American Farm Bureau Federation and aim to position Kansas well nationally through member participation.

Farm Bureau was specifically designed to be a member-driven, grassroots organization. In December, 435 delegates meet at the annual meeting to vote on issues. Holdren gave the example of the impact of the grassroots voice. As a response to member concerns about rising health care costs, KFB successfully started a new imitative to offer members lower cost health plans.

Following individually scheduled meetings with legislators and other groups, Class XV met with Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers. Rogers spoke to the work of the Office of Rural Prosperity. Specifically he went over results from the office’s recent listening tour and what is in the pipeline for rural revitalization. The results from the listening tour are available at ruralkanprosper.kan.gov. The biggest issues that came out of the sessions are broadband, housing, childcare and property tax.

Rogers said the goal was not necessarily to create new policy based on the results but to see how the state can be more effective with its resources. Currently, he said, there are several channels for support, but those channels don’t necessarily work together or share information well. He is hoping these groups can come together to provide solutions and/or share resources in a more effective way.

He also hopes to help bridge the gap between rural and urban populations. Neither can be successful without the other, but more work needs to be done to make this connection.

He also encouraged members of the class to complete the Census 2020 form and encourage their friends, family and neighbors to do the same. It is vital for rural areas to be represented and representation comes from being counted.

Rogers concluded by saying rural revitalization isn’t a one-time conversation. Needs and solutions change over time and the conversations need to be constant. Engaged leadership is key to the success of rural Kansas.

Tom Bell, CEO of Kansas Hospital Association, spoke next. He shared some general information about healthcare with the class. In a public opinion poll, Americans are split on ACA. While they may not like the policy, polls show that even those who aren’t in favor of ACA do want some of the services allowed for by the law.

Bell went on to give some statistics about how the healthcare industry has changed over time. Specifically he discussed some of the disruptors to the industry such as new healthcare plans from CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Amazon and others. He also talked about the changes to population–29% of Kansas hospitals are at risk of closure. Bell doesn’t believe this will happen because most taxpayers will increase taxes to support local healthcare options. 

In Kansas, health care is the third largest aggregate employer providing 185,000 jobs. The economic impact in rural communities is huge.

During the latter part of the afternoon, the Class XV toured the Kansas Bureau of Investigation office on Washburn University’s campus. The KBI uses the lab to perform chemical, fingerprint, firearms and other testing in criminal investigations.

Just before dinner group heard “Your Responsibility as a News Consumer” from Mike Matson, director of industry affairs at Kansas Farm Bureau. Matson asked the class to list ways they consume news and compare these methods to what might have been available in 1995. The group also discussed its expectations of news and media.

The dinner speaker was Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Schmidt’s topic “Big People Come from Small Towns” was a quote from William Inge who was from Independence, Kan., where Schmidt grew up. He encouraged those in the room to think about how they are impacting their communities and to continue to work for big things. He said, “If we don’t figure out how we’re going to deliver quality government services, we’ll lose that thing that is special. And, people will vote with their feet and leave.” 

Day Three – State of the State
Friday, January 17, 2020
Submitted by Kendra Riley, Dexter

The day began with an overnight ice storm. A majority of the seminars were canceled (state government closed, legislature and judicial branches are open “at their discretion”). Bags were hauled to cars in the rain/sleet/wind… cars were solid sheets of ice… remote-start was coveted… carefully coiffed hairstyles were ruined.

Might try to reschedule some tours, but no way to get into Supreme Court to tour today.

Phillip R Michael – Assistant Attorney General (8:15 – 10:25)
A Guide to Open Meetings and Open Records

• History of Open Meetings: KSA 19-218 first adopted in 1868, last amended in 1923
  • KOMA adopted in 1972: meetings open to the public because “a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate…”
  • All legislative and administrative bodies and agencies of the state and political and taxing subdivisions thereof, and other subordinate groups thereof receiving or expending and supported in whole or in part by public funds (KS75-43)
• Who is subject to KOMA? – state bodies and local governments
• Who is NOT subject to KOMA? – any administrative body when exercising a “quasi-judicial” function; Hearings conducted under the KS Administrative Procedures Act (KAPA) KSA 77-523(f), KSA 75-4318(g); judiciary, private organizations (homeowners assoc) staff meetings of a covered entity
• What is a meeting? – any gathering or assembly in person, through the use of a telephone, or any other medium for interactive communication; by a majority of the membership of a public body or agency subject to the act; for the purpose of discussing the business or affairs of the public body or agency (KSA 75-4317a)
  • School board in a strategic planning meeting? (if it’s justified) but “executive session” is preferred
  • A gathering or assembly: May conduct meetings by phone or conf call/video/skype/GoTo meeting etc. if comply with all KOMA requirements; informal discussions before/after/during recess of a public meeting may be subject to KOMA; name of the gathering is irrelevant (calling it something creative does not change the meaning)
• Majority of the membership = next whole number over half
• Discussion: binding action/voting not necessary; meeting includes all gathering at all stages of the decision-making process; social gathering; retreats and meetings held in private (public must be able to attend for FREE);
  • If a private entity invites a quorum to dinner with paid seating and business is discussed, it is in violation
  • Banning members of the public from speaking is not prohibited under KOMA
• KOMA does not require notice of meetings to be published in a newspaper or on a website – must just provide notice to those who have REQUESTED to be notified of meetings; there is no formalities to request a notice, can be verbal or written and is valid for one fiscal year, then there must be notified of expiration before terminating notice; provide date/time/location where public body will meet to person requesting a notice a “reasonable time” before meeting; group request for notice is provided to a designated individual (KSA 75-4318(b)); executive branch required to post to govt website all meeting notices
• Examples provided
• Penalties – max civil penalty up to $500 for each violation paid by each individual member of the public body who knowingly violates; training; order to cease/desist from further violations; comply with the KOMA; reasonable expenses, investigative costs, and attorney fees
• Serial communications – interactive communications outside of a noticed meeting may be a meeting under KOMA if
  • Collectively involve a majority
  • Share a common topic of discussion
  • Intended by any or all participants to reach an agreement on a matter that requires binding action to be taken by the public body or agency (KSA 75-4318(f))
  • Emails, calling tress, use of an agent (staff member) – DO NOT REPLY ALL, DO NOT FORWARD EMAILS
• Meeting conduct
  • KOMA does not address meeting procedures
  • Agenda – not required; any agenda must include topics planned for discussion (if known) but maybe amended during a meeting unless prohibited by statute or rule; must be made available; does not have to be sent out in advance (simply place in the back of the meeting)
  • Cameras and recording devices are allowed – may not be disruptive
  • No public right to speak, only to listen and observe
  • Location of the meeting – is it accessible

• Minutes – only required to record motion to go into executive session, but bylaws, ordinances, policies may require minutes
• Executive session
  • Permit discussion of certain enumerated matters outside public view
  • The meeting must start as public, then recess into ES
  • No binding actions may be taken in ES, but the consensus is allowed
  • If consensus is achieved, must be taken in open session (don’t fire the city clerk in ES and forget to vote in OS)
  • Must be formal motion seconded/carried; complete motion recorded in minutes
  • Parts of motion for ES: Statement of subjects to be discussed w/o revealing confidential information; justification from the statute; time/place open meeting will resume (KSA 75-4319)
  • Who can attend: Members of the public body, observers may not attend; staff, agents, etc are not allowed
  • Justifications: discipline; attorney consultation; labor negotiations; financial affairs/trade secrets; student/patient matters; discussion on acquisition (not sale) of real property; security measures (KSA 75-4319)
    • If multiple justifications for ES… MUST have SEPARATE executive sessions for each justification
• Questions:
  • Anthony – if FB has a meeting and invites elected official who discusses business matters (gray area, not recommended); the elected officials are responsible for the notice, not the organization
  • JR – can any member of the public attend/comment at meetings, even if the topic didn’t specifically affect them? – nothing in KOMA against this
  • Susan – can anyone record a meeting without making the officials aware? – yes, KS is a “one-party” state, so not required to make others aware of the recording
  • Kim – can you come to do training for the school board? Yes, Phillip is the trainer
  • Leland – should board member take it upon themselves to be trained
  • Jessica – how does this work for national boards? “above and beyond our reach”
  • Garrett – how similar are our laws to other states? Most states have similar topics and approaches, maybe different wording is all
• Kansas Open Records Act (KSA 45-215 et seq.)
  • History:
    • “public records shall be open for inspection by members of the public unless otherwise stated
    • KORA enacted in 1984, replaced the 1957 version
    • Provides a procedure for the public to view and make copies of public records
    • Also defines and categorizes records
    • Includes:
      • Any recorded info, regardless of form, characteristics or location which is made, maintained or kept by or in the possession of any public agency or any officer/employee of the public agency pursuant to the officers or employees official duties and which is related to the functions, activities, programs or operations of any public agency
    • Includes written records, photographs, computer data, and email
    • DOES NOT INCLUDE:
      • Records owned by a private person/entity not related to a public function
      • Records made by a member of the legislature
      • Records not in existence at the time of the request
      • Do not need to create records to fulfill a request
      • Kendra: can other statues deem certain information confidential and therefore not available to complete a records request? Yes – KORA will not supersede if a statute SPECIFIES confidential data
  • What is a “public agency”
    • The state
    • Any political or taxing subdivision of the state or any office, agency or instrumentality thereof,
    • Any other entity receiving or expending or supported by public funds appropriated by the state
    • What is NOT a public agency?
      • Private companies, even if they receive public funds in exchange for good and services
    • Requirements: agency must appoint a Freedom of Information Officer to assist with KORA requests; make available describing requester rights, agency responsibilities and procedures for making records
    • Any person may make a request, need not be resident, does not need to disclose the reason for requesting data
    • A public agency may require a request to be in writing; only requesters’ name and address; proof of ID; a written certification that the requestor will not use the data for profit
  • Rights or requester
    • Unless closed bylaw, the public has the right to review all public records, any person may make abstracts or request copies; redactions of SSN
    • Limitations: video or sound recordings; copyrighted material
    • The request must be acted upon ASAP, within 3 business days, with 3 responses
      • Record is provided
      • The request is under review and records will follow (if permitted)
      • The request is denied with a detailed explanation for the denial
    • Penalties
      • Civil penalty up to $500 per violation
      • Complete AG approved training
      • Cease/desist further violation
      • Comply with KORA
      • Allowable fees and charges:
        • Actual costs to provide records
        • Costs include staff time to retrieve/review, redact information
        • Fees may be estimated and collected before the records are provided
    • Why might records be closed:
      • Personal privacy – medical/personnel records
      • Safety/Security – criminal investigation records, body/car cameras
      • Internal communications – notes/preliminary drafts
      • Search/arrest warrants

• Questions:
• Clay: what happens in federal govt shutdowns? KORA superseded by FOIA
• Susan: requests made about minors, or fairs (exhibitor info) – could redact personally identifiable info, might need to look at a combination of rules to determine if data would be required to be disclosed; topic dependent to see if there are specific statutes

Conflict Management – Leavenworth

Coming soon

National Service – Washington, D.C.

Coming soon