Health Forward announces participants in Healthy Communities Leadership Academy

Contact: Jennifer Sykes
Phone: (816) 241-7006

Kansas City, MO — The Health Forward Foundation (Health Forward) has announced the 15 participants in its Healthy Communities Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy is a yearlong program focused on adaptive and civic leadership development for up to 15 individuals currently working on (or interested in working on) policy and community environment change related to healthy eating, active living and tobacco use prevention.

“The academy not only increases field experts but also creates supportive environments where participants can explore potential organizational strategies and approaches,” said Brenda Calvin, Health Forward Program Officer.

Participants represent the greater Kansas City area and focus on uninsured and underserved populations. The new class of participants in the leadership academy include:

• Vanessa Aragon, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault
• Karole Bradford, Riverview Health Services
• Alyssa Carodine, Healthy Communities Wyandotte
• Amanda George, EITAS-Developmental Disability Services
• John Gordon, BoysGrow
• Jennifer Graves, Tri-County Mental Health Services
• Maxfield Kaniger, Kanbe’s Markets
• Matthew Kleinmann, Dotte Agency
• Jennifer Manuleleua, Community Services League
• Tiffane Friesen-Misimbi, Wyandot Inc.
• Katie Nixon, West Central Missouri Community Action Agency
• Lisa Ousley, After the Harvest
• Laura Steele, BikeWalkKC
• Je T’aime Taylor, Rosedale Development Association
• Jose Torres, Children’s Mercy Hospital

“We are excited to welcome these community members into our Leadership Academy,” said Adriana Pecina, Health Forward Program Officer. “It is our hope that this experience will help inspire creativity and innovation in their communities that will create lasting change.”

Learn more about the Healthy Communities Leadership Academy.