The Missouri Leadership Seminar seeks to give sophomore students –student government leaders, academic achievers, athletes, and others—the opportunity to learn about topics that impact their lives today and in the future while they interact with others just as unique as themselves. The Missouri Leadership Seminar is a free three day seminar that will be held the first weekend in June. Registration is Friday, June 4th from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Closing ceremonies begin with our Parent Orientation session on Sunday, June 6th (time to be announced). School representatives (counselors, principals, etc) are also welcomed to attend closing ceremonies.
All of our staff members are volunteers and majority are alumni of the program. For a view of the impact of this program on their lives, please see our testimonials from MLS alumni.
The Missouri Leadership Seminar is unique from other leadership seminars available to sophomore students as it provides a variety of sessions on topics such as community service and volunteerism, government, education as well as current media and medical issues throughout the United States. All of our speakers and panelists throughout the weekend are volunteers as well and enjoy the opportunity to work with over 200 sophomore students each year from the entire state of Missouri. The students are encouraged to actively participate in the sessions with our speakers in our question/answer forum at the end of each session as well as participating in small group discussions, skits, and other team-building activities.
The Board of Directors for the Missouri Leadership Seminar are able to provide the seminar experience free of charge to the students, parents and schools through private donations from local civic clubs such as Optimist, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary and GFWC clubs. The Board of Directors has a database of local civic club contacts and always appreciates updates for your local clubs. You may send updates to our offices via email at missourileadership@yahoo.com. The approximate cost per student is $200.
Any sophomore student is eligible to attend once nominated by a school and the selection process is left up to each individual school/district. Private and parochial schools are welcome, as well. For additional information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions.
2009-2010 Board of Directors Cassidy Urie Amanda Eiberger ©2008 MLS
Missouri Leadership Seminar, Inc.
Michelle L. Zink
Seminar Chairperson
missourileadership@yahoo.com
Michelle has been actively involved in MLS since attending the seminar as a sophomore student at Polo High School in 1998. 2009 marks Michelle’s eleventh year of volunteering with MLS and she notes that technology has certainly made a huge impact on volunteer processes such as nominations, registrations and applications for staff members. Michelle served as an Operations Assistant in 1999 and 2000, became the Co-Director of Staff in 2001, the Assistant to the Chair in 2002 and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors in 2003. Michelle is also actively involved with Optimist International, as a member and past President of the Sunset Optimist Club of Blue Springs and has served as a Lt. Governor for the West Missouri Optimist District in 2008, 2009 and will serve through 2010.
Tricia Hager
Assistant to the Chairperson
mls_staff@yahoo.com
An active volunteer since her ambassador year in 2002 as an ambassador from Pleasant Hope High School, Tricia has served as the Assistant to the Chairperson since 2004. As there are many different tasks and duties to be assigned to an “Assistant”, Tricia has insured that the Board of Directors and Staff have all of their notices and necessary documentation for each seminar year to be a success. Tricia became a Junior Facilitator in 2003 and returned in 2004. After the 2004 seminar, she transferred to the Operations side of the Board of Directors where she became the Assistant to the Chair and currently still holds this position.
Rachel White
Director of Recruitment
missourileadership@yahoo.com
After attending the seminar in 2003 as a representative of Tarkio High School, Rachel has become involved with the Board of Directors as an Operations Suite Assistant in 2004 and 2005. In 2006 Rachel became the understudy for the Director of Recruitment position and has successfully registered countless students throughout these last couple of years. With the addition of an on-line nomination system, the Board of Directors school/student tracking ability has become much more accessible for follow up requests for schools who have nominated and registered students in past years.
Julie Miller
Director of Finances
Julie became an active member of the Board of Directors in 2007 by volunteering on-site at the 2007 seminar at the University of Central Missouri. Being a part of that same seminar experience that her late son Denton had embraced in 2005 and 2006 brought Julie a longing to be more actively involved with our organization. Julie now serves as the Director of Finances for MLS in loving memory of Denton Wayne Miller and is fondly known to the staff members as “Momma Miller”. Julie also volunteers with Midwest Transplant Network and is also a full-time teacher where she works with high school students and tries to make a difference in the lives of young people. It is also because of these desires to help others that she is involved in MLS.
Linda Zink
Board of Directors Reporting Secretary
Linda became a part of the MLS family through her daughter, Michelle. As the 1998 seminar was to commence, the Board of Directors found themselves short a group facilitator for the seminar weekend. Linda willingly stepped in and filled the vacancy for the students and continued as a group facilitator until 2001. In 2002, Linda became more involved on the Board of Directors level and has served as the Board Secretary throughout the seminar planning year and also currently serves on-site as a Co-Director of the Operations Suite. “Momma Zink” is also known as the head warm-fuzzy maker.
Mallory McGowin
Co-Director of Operations, Special Services, Gift-In-Kind
Co-Director of Public Relations
mallory.mcgowin@gmail.com
Mallory attended the seminar as a representative from School of the Osage High School in Osage Beach, MO in 2002. Since that time, she has returned as a Junior Facilitator in 2004 and 2005, and then as a Senior Facilitator in 2007 and 2008 and as a Board member in 2009. Mallory graduated from Drury University in May 2007 with a bachelors degree in integrated media, a combination of print, broadcast, and online journalism. She began her career at KRCG-TV, the CBS affiliate in Jefferson City, MO, directly after graduation. She currently serves the station as a General Assignment reporter with an emphasis in the Education field.
Stefanie Zimmerman
Co-Director of Public Relations
Director of Group Names and Signs
stefaniezimmerman@gmail.com
Stefanie attended the seminar as a representative from Glendale High School in Springfield, MO in 2001. Since then, she has returned to serve as both a junior facilitator and senior facilitator. This is her first year serving on the Board of Directors. Stefanie graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. After a stint as a newspaper designer and graphic artist in Jacksonville, Fla., Stefanie returned home to Missouri and now works as an Admissions Representative for her alma mater, Mizzou.
Ralph How
Board of Directors Optimist Representative
missourileadership@yahoo.com
Ralph joined the Board of Directors as a liaison between MLS and the West Missouri Optimist District in 1999. Ralph’s primary mission has been to educate Optimist clubs of MLS’ purpose and potential for high school sophomore students, in addition to assisting with securing sponsorship monies for nominated students. Many Optimist clubs wish to know who their local student attending MLS is, so that they can contact the student and parents to attend a club meeting following their seminar experience. Ralph has attended countless West Missouri District Optimist functions and meetings to ensure the continued support of MLS and has taken the lead on many alumni based fundraisers throughout the years.
Kirk Morehead
On-Site Programs Coordinator
missourileadership@yahoo.com
Kirk has been an Optimist Member since 1996 and has served in many capacities in the Optimist organization including President. Optimist is what led Kirk to the MLS organization. He has served as a senior facilitator for two years and as on-site programs coordinator for one. Being involved in the seminar is what is most important, Kirk has served as a speaker on our Energy Panel dealing with Renewable fuels. He has served as a profession panelist in the Dinner with a Pro. Kirk's inspiration is seeing the young people come together as strangers on the first day and leave as life long friends, with a new purpose to help make our world a better place in which to live.
Beverly Shelton
Board of Directors GFWC Representative
missourileadership@yahoo.com
Beverly attended her first seminar in 1986 as a guest speaker for “Lunch With a Pro”. Beverly is currently involved with the Board of Directors meetings, serving as MLS Chairman for the GFWC of Missouri to secure GFWC club support throughout the state. The GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) also provide an invaluable support to MLS each year as Beverly recruits club members in her GFWC district to provide DOZENS & DOZENS & DOZENS of homemade cookies for the students and staff at the seminar each year.
Chris Hager
Director of Staff
mls_staff@yahoo.com
Attending the seminar in 1999, Chris quickly became a dedicated alumnus of MLS and was involved as a Junior Staff member in 2000 and 2002. In 2004 Chris became a Senior Staff member and an active member of the Board of Directors as a staff liaison. 2004 brought Chris back to the Board of Directors to assist with recruitment of staff, where he has easily made the transition to Assistant Director of Staff in 2006. Chris has become a tireless volunteer for the Board of Directors and continues to ensure that the seminar sessions and speakers relate to the student ambassadors through current events through continued staff feedback. 2006 and 2007 have allowed even further evolvement of the staff recruitment process much ado to Chris’ continued dedication to MLS.
Co-Director of Alumni
clufg4@mizzou.edu
As an ambassador in 2005, Cassidy fell in love with MLS and has returned every year since to volunteer. Cassidy is ready to help make the 2009 ambassadors have their seminar experience and love MLS too. Since 2005, Cassidy has been a “Groups” Junior Staff member. Cassidy was also was a part of the educational and the volunteer panel in 2008. Currently, Cassidy is a Co-Director of Alumni for the 2008-2009 Board of Directors and can not wait to return to MLS 2010!
Co-Director of Alumni
amebq6@mizzou.edu
As an ambassador in 2006 representing King City High School, Amanda quickly fell in love with everything about the seminar. She has been a loyal volunteer, returning as a junior staff member ever since. Amanda is currently a student at the University of Missouri and has helped start a Missouri Leadership Seminar Alumni group on campus for current students who have been involved in the seminar.