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Colloquium features advice from six community leaders

March 18, 2008

KALAMAZOO--An upcoming event hosted by Western Michigan University will explore leadership topics and the diversity of pathways taken by six of the area's foremost leaders in education, business and government.

The WMU Leadership Colloquium will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Fetzer Center's Putney Auditorium. WMU President John M. Dunn will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell; Millennium Group creator and owner Ken Miller; executive director of the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Kalamazoo initiative, Judy Moore; Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Michael Rice; and Kalamazoo College President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran.

Speakers will discuss their approaches to leadership and recount seminal moments in their development as community leaders. They will also talk about the importance of sound leadership, becoming an effective leader, recognizing and developing the leadership potential in others, and opportunities and challenges facing aspiring leaders in the Kalamazoo community.

Dr. Andrea Beach, coordinator of faculty development and assistant professor of educational leadership, research and technology at WMU, says the colloquium grew out of conversations about the need for more intentional leadership development at the University.

"This is a rare opportunity to hear from an incredible panel of local leaders--to get their perspectives and learn about their passages to leadership," Beach says. "It's our hope that participants will take away a deeper understanding of the concepts surrounding leadership development and find ways to realize their own leadership potential."

The colloquium is open free of charge to the public and will be followed by a reception. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to Academic Technology and Instructional Services' Office of Faculty Development at atis-facdev@wmich.edu or (269) 387-4196.

The WMU Leadership Colloquium is intended to facilitate the development of leadership skills among faculty, staff, students and other members of the University community. Colloquium events are sponsored by WMU's College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Academic Technology and Instructional Services, Faculty Senate, and the WMU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Media contact: Tonya Hernandez, (269) 387-8400, tonya.hernandez@wmich.edu

WMU News
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