Wednesday, Sep. 21 2011 8:18AM
District forms Roundtable to enhance link between business community and schools
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ReprintThe Lee’s Summit R-7 School District recently formed a group designed to enhance the relationship between the local business community and schools. The R-7 Business Roundtable, a group of approximately 30 business leaders, met for the first time Sept. 8.
The group’s membership includes a broad cross section of business owners and leaders, plus representatives from the R-7 district staff and board of education, the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and Lee’s Summit Downtown Main Street.
The group’s objectives include raising awareness and promoting understanding of education-related challenges and successes, improving communication between the R-7 district and the business community, and promoting understanding of the major economic challenges facing the school district, the business community and the community at-large.
The members will work together to identify collaborative efforts that will mutually benefit schools and businesses and to identify adequate, sustainable resource options that do not put undue burden on any one segment of the community. In addition, the group plans to establish means to lower the individual property-tax burden on residential and commercial property owners through a more balanced commercial and residential assessment. The members also hope to strengthen the impact on federal and state legislation through a collaborative effort that results in benefits to the R-7 School District as well as the business community and citizens.
Plans for the new group began last spring following a discussion by David McGehee, R-7 superintendent, and Lee’s Summit Mayor Randy Rhoads. Following that meeting, a Business Roundtable Steering Committee was formed to recruit team members and develop specifics plans for the group.
Steering Committee members are Phyllis Balagna of Steppin’ Out-The Studio, Chip Moxley of Tingle Flooring and Ron Williams of Integral Construction Services. Additional Roundtable members include:
Roger Accurso of American Food Service; Mike Allen of Cornerstone Financial Group; Keith Asel of Hawthorn Bank; Kathy Bennett of Bennett Packaging; Damond Boatwright of Lee’s Summit Medical Center; Annette Braam of the R-7 Board of Education; Bill Brown, Spectrum Consulting Group LLC; Brad Culbertson of Culbertson Properties; Paula Derks of Aircraft Electronics Association; Jon Ellis of Paradise Park; Wayne Forgey of Bank of Lee’s Summit; Harry Foster of Foster Properties; Daren Fristoe, chairperson the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council; David Gale of Gale Properties; Lynn Hinkle, Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce board chairperson; Kent Kirby, chairperson of the R-7 Citizens’ Advisory Committee; Matt Knehans of Edward Jones; Tom Kurucz, R-7 deputy superintendent; Rob Lund, Commercial Real Estate Broker; Laura Maxwell, R-7 Partners In Education coordinator; David McGehee, R-7 superintendent; Greg Olinger of Farmers Insurance Group; George Pagels of Saint Luke’s East; Janice Phelan, R-7 executive director of communications; Jon Plaas of Plaas Associates; Kim Ryan of Metcraft Industries; Randy Rhoads, Lee’s Summit mayor; Diane Seif of DVA Enterprises; Ryan Smarr, representing Lee’s Summit Downtown Main Street; Sonja Wald of All American Display Fireworks; and John Wisniewski of Hollis and Miller.
