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 on the University of Central Missouri campus (formerly Central Missouri State University) in Warrensburg the first weekend in June. Registration is Friday, June 6th from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Closing ceremonies begin with our Parent Orientation session on Sunday, June 8th (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.

2007-2008 Board of Directors
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. 2008 marks Michelle’s tenth 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.

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.  Rachel currently attends Baylor University in Waco, TX, and will graduate in May 2009.  She is actively involved in many campus organizations and serves as a “Community Leader” (Resident Assistant) in a women’s freshman residence hall.  

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.

Lana Raquel Babb
Director of Operations
raquel.babb@fhsdschools.org
As an active alumni member of the Board of Directors since her ambassador year in 1985, Lana Raquel, also known as “Lana Banana”, has been the force behind many seminars’ Operations Suite, even when she was living in Kentucky over a seminar planning year.  As a teacher and a mother, helping kids reach their full potential is the heart of her life’s goal.  Over 20 years ago, MLS inspired her to believe in herself and helped her discover that other students in Missouri had dreams and goals just like she did, even though they were all just sophomores in high school.  She has been with the program all these years to make sure that she passes that inspiration along.  This year, her own daughter will be among the ambassadors!

Jeannie Imhoff
Director of Programs
Jeannie became a part of the Board of Directors following her daughter Kristen’s attendance in 2007. As a member of the state of Missouri’s teaching force, Jeannie can relate to the students on a daily basis and gets to witness first hand the difference in students when they realize their leadership potential. Seeing this difference brought Jeannie to take an active role in planning the seminar sessions and guest speakers for the 2008 MLS.

Zach Morehead
Director of Public Relations
Zach became involved with the seminar in 2006, due in part to his mother’s involvement with our program through the Lake Lotawana Optimist club. 2008 marks Zach's third seminar as a Senior Facilitator (SuFa). Although he did not go through the program himself, he sees the impact that the seminar weekend can have on our young leaders. It has been inspirational to him, so much sothat he insisted his younger brother Nick go through the program as an ambassador in 2007. Nick will be back in 2008 as a JuFa. Zach's mother, father, brother, and girlfriend will all be facilitators at the seminar in 2008. Zach works as an Account Executive for Viamdedia in Lenexa, KS where he sells cable advertising for Everest Connections. He graduated with a degree in Public Relations from Northwest Missouri State University in December of 2006.

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.

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.

Matt McLaughlin
Assistant Director of Staff
mtjm1124@aol.com
After attending the seminar in 2001, Matt has continued to be a vital member of our Board of Directors and has contributed to the annual seminar event as a junior staff member for 2 years, moving up to the Moderator in 2005 and Assistant Director of Staff for the last 2 years. Matt’s enthusiasm and continued positive attitude have made a lasting impact on the students year after year.

Nathan Goldstein
Director of Alumni
mls_alumni@yahoo.com
As an ambassador in 2002, Nathan returned to the seminar in 2003 until 2005 as a junior staff member . In 2006, Nathan transitioned to the role of Moderator before moving on to his current role as Director of Alumni in 2007. Nathan was also a SuFa during the 2007 seminar as well. Nathan has been on our education panel since 2005 and has enjoyed the seminar emensely and loves seeing the impact that it has on students lives.

©2008 MLS