Central Kansas Seminar –Day One
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Submitted by: Courtney Beran
Central Kansas Seminar – Anthony
The class met in Wichita and loaded the bus. We headed for Anthony, KS to visit the Southern Kansas Cotton Growers gin. Along the way, discussion was held about the Big Event.
Once at the cotton gin we met manager, Gary Feist, along with Dan, a long-time farmer and part of the coop. The talked about the change of the cotton industry in Kansas from the 1990s to present day. Production has tripled but so has cost. In 2019 there was record acreage.
Gin season is from September to February, typically. The gin runs 24 hours a day, 2 twelve hour shifts, 7 days a week. We learned the gin during peak season will gin 100 loads a day. Most of the see is going to dairies to be fed. Fun fact, it takes 20%-50% less water to produce cotton when compared to corn. After soaking in a lot of information we toured the facility.
Following the tour, we loaded the bus and headed for Harper Industry, producers of bale beds, turf equipment, and hydraulics. Harper Industry had approximately 190 employees and still trying to fill positions. During peak production, they can make 18 bale beds in one day. They can pull parts to fit any Ford, Dodge, or Chevy 1979 or newer. The companies work with Harper, providing the newest CAD data before truck comes out so they can have bale bed parts and fittings ready. Their current project is a massive automated paint booth that will eliminate the need to shift work.
Tim Penner, chairman of the board, believes one shift, allows for quality family time. After our tour, we listened to Tim talk about Harper’s core values: Authentic, Drive, Humbler and Trustworthy. He also covered their “4 P” Philosophy of Profit, Product, People and Principles.
We transitioned to breaking down our CVI results with Luke Thornton (Class XI) the VP of Operations and Melissa Bergkamp (Class XIV) President of Harper Industry. We discussed how our current mindset can really affect the results as well as our weighted energy. We talked about taking time for “the sacred pause” to help make yourself aware.
Luke spoke on core values. Core values are not meant to be aspirational, rather need to be who we are with roots. You can’t allow to be 3 out of your 4 values, they need to meet all 4. You also can’t change what you are willing to tolerate. Core Vaules are the foundation of growing. We made our final transition for the evening to the Spring Creek House, an original house, refurbished for desserts, and succession planning with Melissa and Tim.
Reloading the bus, we headed back to Wichita for a great night’s sleep
Central Kansas Seminar – Day Two
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Submitted by: Colleen Eberle
Central Kansas Seminar – Wichita
Day two of our Global Leadership seminar offered a powerful look into the scale, precision, and people driven leadership behind two major forces shaping Wichita’s economy: National Defense and Aviation Manufacturing.
Our day began at McConnell Air Force Base, home of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, where we were welcomed with a mission briefing and an inside look at the base’s role in supporting Air Mobility Command operations. What stood out immediately was the pride and professionalism of the airmen and leaders who emphasized their deep connection to the Wichita community.
McConnell is not only a critical national defense asset, it is also a major community partner and an integral piece of the region’s workforce and identity.
One of the highlights of the morning was seeing the KC-146 up close. The sheer scale of the aircraft was impressive, and learning that it can hold up to 200,000 pounds of fuel helped put into perspective the magnitude of its missions.
We also had the opportunity to view the KC-135, another iconic aircraft with a long history of service. Standing next to both was a humbling reminder of the immense capabilities required to support global operations and the individuals who carry out that responsibility daily.
During our time at McConnell, we also learned about the importance of training and workforce development. A key leadership takeaway shared with our group was the philosophy of developing airmen through both depth and breadth of experience. Rather than allowing individuals to remain comfortable in one role, leaders intentionally rotate personnel into new positions once they have mastered their current responsibilities.
This approach not only strengthens the organization but also builds adaptable leaders prepared to meet evolving challenges. McConnell also serves as a national hub for KC-46 maintenance training, reinforcing Wichita’s reputation as a center for aviation expertise.
From McConnell, we traveled to Textron Aviation, a company that plays a major role in Wichita’s identity as the “Air Capital of the World.” Textron, home to the well-known Cessna and Beechcraft brands, is one of the region’s largest employers and a major contributor to Kansas manufacturing and economic development.
We enjoyed lunch with company representatives and heard about Textron’s operations before touring the facility. Walking through the manufacturing area offered a firsthand appreciation for the complexity and precision involved in aircraft production. It was shared that these private aircraft contain thousands of individual components, an estimated 6,000 parts, each requiring careful coordination, craftsmanship, and quality control.
The tour reinforced how Wichita’s workforce has build a global reputation for producing worldclass aviation products.
Later in the afternoon, our class returned to the hotel for additional programming, including discussions surrounding KARL’s upcoming Brazil experience.
After a short digital break and time to freshen up, the class then enjoyed an evening networking reception that brought together KARL Friends and Fellows from multiple classes.
The evening ended with a keynote address from Dr.. Kaye Monk-Morgan, President and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, who delivered an inspiring presentation titled, “Leading for Impact: How to Change Your Community One Person at a Time.”
Dr. Monk-Morgan challenged us to think differently about leadership, emphasizing humility, curiosity, and the responsibility each of us has to create change at the personal and community level. One quote that resonated deeply was, “My wisdom has improved while my knowledge has decreased,” a reminder that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about growing in perspective and purpose.
Southeast Kansas Seminar –Day Three
Friday, December 5, 2025
Submitted by: Janae McKinney
Location: Cargill – Wichita, Kansas
As the frigid cold and snowy weather approached Kansas on Friday, we started the day at the Cargill Innovation Center. Ann Brackenridge and Wendie Phelps welcomed the class and started with sharing their own experience at Cargill and background information on the company and product development.
Cargill has 155,000 employees, is in 70 countries, has 65 languages, has a collective 155+ years of experience and is privately owned. There are 3 main enterprises: Food, Ag and Trading and Specialized Portfolio. Wichita’s location focuses on meat, meat alternatives and sensory research. Customers are divided into 3 main groups: Retail, Foodservice and Food Manufacturing.
Cargill is backed by portfolio of high-quality ingredients including Sweeteners, Texturizers, Vegetable Proteins, Cocoa and Chocolate, Flours and Fibers, Ingredient Blends, Edible Oils and Fats, and Protein. The consumer-focused innovation cycle starts at discovery, then building the product and finally the launch process of the product.
After an introduction of the product development process and company, we split into 2 groups to tour the facility. The tour of the facility followed the development process. As clients request new products, there are lots of considerations including ingredients, shape, price, display, instructions of preparation/cooking, etc. Development timelines can vary from 4 months for a fast process to as long as years (18 months for most).
The Chemistry Lab is the start of the process. The lab supports new product
development and prepares the nutrition facts panel.
The Prototype Space and Retail Case help establish product sensory and smell, quality and shelf-life of the product.
The Pantry or Ingredients and Seasoning Room keeps all the base ingredients each client might often use in their products. Think of Wendy’s fry seasoning or a secret blend of spices.
The Pilot Plant is where the product is made or prepared using actual equipment. There is a variety of cooking, shaping, packaging, or preparing equipment and new equipment can be brought in based on client’s need or use. Food scientists rent out the pilot plant for their research, space changes hour to hour. There is separate raw and ready-to-eat spaces to prevent cross contamination.
The Test Kitchen is where the team of chefs cook and prepare the food products for clients to try and test. Can bring in client equipment (Burger King grill, McDonalds flattops, etc.) for specific testing. The test kitchen also includes display cases and real-life restaurant style space.
The chef team includes 8 people who usually have more than 8 years of experience. A recent addition to the space is a camera set-up to show live demonstrations or recordings of cooking/chefs.
We were able to try egg bites and Aldi’s Check Roast Birria.
Our second stop on Friday was the Cargill Protein Headquarters. We had several representatives share about their role and different divisions of the company.
Our first representative was Nate Birkhofer. He shared an overview of Cargill Food.
Our second presenter was Travis Polzin and he shared Cargill Supply Chain Value Creation.
Our third speaker was Crystal Fussell and she shared an operations overview of Cargill.
Our final speaker from Cargill was Rob Stewart and he shared about transformational leadership.
The last presentation of the day was “Crucial Conversations” by Cathy McClain from Dauntless Leadership. The lesson is designed to strengthen ability to listen, be clear with communication, provide feedback, resolve conflict and explore your impact.
