LEADERSHIP MCKINNEY

Learning responsibility for the whole community, Working together in the spirit of unity,
Discovering the past, defining the present and shaping our common future.

• 22 years strong
• 410 graduates to date.
• 13 members of the present Chamber Board of Directors are graduates of Leadership McKinney and/or the Strategic Leadership program that produced the white paper, or are presently class members.
• Our present Chamber Immediate Past-Chair, Chair Elect and Treasurer are graduates of Leadership McKinney.
• Leadership alums or present class members serve as Chamber sector chairs for Advocacy and Membership Services, and serve as committee chairs for Government & Legislative Issues, McKinney Living Editorial Committee, CMSI Board, PAC Board and Leadership Advisory Committee.
• Several of our present elected officials are alums of Leadership McKinney: Mayor Loughmiller, Class of 1999; Commissioner Joe Jaynes, Class of 1993; ISD Board of Trustee Dick Stevens, Class of 2003.
• Other alums serve in positions that guide our community on a daily basis:  Police Chief Doug Kowalski, Fire Chief Mark Wallace, Assistant Fire Chief Frank Roma and Interim City Manager Rick Chaffin, to mention a few.
• 25 alums were appointed to 14 different boards and/or commissions in McKinney in 2009-2010.

·         Our partnership with futurist Carolyn Corbin, President of the Center for the 21^st Century, has transformed the program into a one-of-a-kind experience. The opportunity to dialogue with Mrs. Corbin on the values of leadership and importance of community while using 21^st Century thinking and process is invaluable.

• Class members put their leadership skills into play every year for McKinney Make A Difference Day, planning all logistics and carrying out the project.  Projects have included: repair on seven homes of those less fortunate; landscaping the SPCA of Texas; updates and clean up at Chestnut Square and the Job Corps; construction of a butterfly garden at the Heard Natural Science Center; and renovation of a home in need of paint, water heater, cleaning, carpet, electrical, and a cement driveway.
• Class projects have become sustainable. Class of 2008 developed a class project called “Operation Appreciation”, sending care packages to the deployed loved ones of the McKinney Blue Star families. They solicited items, funds and sponsors; held a collection surge at local Walmart stores; initiated contact with each and every Blue Star family so they could personalize the boxes with items specific to their loved one; they engaged area elementary students to write letters to the troops and include in the boxes; they engaged high school students to assist with the surge; and involved everyone in packing and shipping.
• Operation Appreciation has continued and since May 2008 they have mailed over 85 boxes weighing about 50 pounds each – that is over 2 tons of shipped goods for our troops! Operation Appreciation VI will ship another round of boxes to the troops in time for the Christmas 2010 holiday season.
• The Class of 2010 class project, “Ping Pong Palooza,” raised almost $3000 for Partners In Education at McKinney ISD. They are planning to make this project an annual event.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;  indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

                                                                                         . . . Margaret Mead