(FLINT, Mich. – Feb. 15, 2017) Community members are invited to hear from and engage with some of the region’s most influential leaders during INSPIRE Leadership, a new speaker series from the Flint & Genesee of Commerce.
The series, which is sponsored by Diplomat, will feature seven thought-provoking talks over the course of the year. Each speaker will have one hour to share his or her ideas and lessons learned, as well as answer questions from the audience.
“As the name suggests, this series aims to inspire leadership in Flint and Genesee County,” said George Wilkinson, Group Vice President, Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. “We want attendees to leave with an understanding of what drives the leaders in this community, and the motivation to apply some of those lessons in their own career and community efforts.”
INSPIRE Leadership will kick off Feb. 24 with a talk from David McGhee, Program Director at the Skillman Foundation, at the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan in downtown Flint. McGhee – who previously served as a program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint and as a congressional liaison for U.S. Representative Dan Kildee – said he hopes his talk will reach community members from a variety of backgrounds.
“Regardless of our place and space in this community, we all have something to offer,” said McGhee, a Flint resident who spoke at TEDXDetroit in 2012. “Leadership is something that happens in board rooms, and at block clubs. It extends beyond a position or title and stretches far and wide into a place where passion meets purpose.”
In addition to McGhee, the INSPIRE Leadership schedule includes:
- March 17: Amy Hovey, Special Projects Coordinator, C.S. Mott Foundation
- April 21: Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, Chair, Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors
- May 12: Kathi A. Horton, President, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
- June 12: Philip Shaltz, President, Shaltz Automation
- October 5: Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, President, Mott Community College
- November 7: Isaiah Oliver, Vice President of Community Impact, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
All talks are free and open to the public, although registration is required. Each talk will be held from noon to 1 p.m., and includes lunch.
For more information about INSPIRE Leadership, or to register for any of the sessions, click here.