CONTACT
Kate Ruddon (404) 653-0790, kruddon@cdc.gov
Summit Prepares Business, Government and Nonprofit Leaders to
Work Together in Times of Crisis
October 2, 2007, WICHITA, KS - Leaders from across the state gathered today for the Kansas Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness - the second in a national series of summits to bring business, government and nonprofit leaders together to prepare for public health and safety crises. Kansas was selected as the site for the second pilot summit because of the number of disasters that have struck the state in the last year and the state-wide commitment to emergency preparedness.
The nation’s response to events like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 have called attention to the importance of leaders working purposefully and collaboratively across sectors in the face of crises. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness is designed to hone leadership skills needed during times of crisis and to build a network of people and organizations ready to act together when disaster strikes.
The Meta-Leadership Summit is an initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation, CDC, the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative* - Harvard School of Public Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The partnership was established to strengthen local and national readiness for responding to natural and manmade disasters by encouraging leaders and organizations across sectors to work more effectively together.
A team of Kansas leaders, including the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius; Jeff Turner, president and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems; Bill Zollars, CEO of YRC Worldwide Inc.; and Steve Coen, vice president for administration of the Kansas Health Foundation are serving as local sponsors for the event.
“Kansas is fortunate to have a cadre of leaders who are committed to working together to improve emergency preparedness and response,” said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “The Meta-Leadership Summit will empower leaders and organizations to think and act cooperatively in the face of future state and national disasters.”
The CDC Foundation is an independent, nonprofit enterprise that forges effective partnerships between CDC and others to fight threats to health and safety.
###