HELP US CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF CENTURIONS — TAKE THE IMPACT SURVEY
For 50 years, Centurions has been shaping leaders, strengthening our community, and creating lifelong connections across Kansas City. As we prepare to celebrate this incredible milestone, we want to hear from the people who made it all possible — you!
We invite you to complete the Centurions 50 Year Anniversary Impact Survey and share how the program has impacted your personal and professional journey, your connection to Kansas City, and the relationships you’ve built along the way.
Your stories, reflections, and insights will help us honor the legacy of Centurions leading into our signature celebration event: Golden Legacy: Centurions at 50, a Special Anniversary Reception
As a thank you for participating in the survey, all respondents will automatically be entered into a drawing for two tickets to one of the region’s most anticipated business events of the year — the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce 139th Annual Dinner — plus additional surprise prizes as part of our 50th anniversary celebration.
Every response helps us tell the story of Centurions’ lasting impact over the past five decades. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to participate and helping us celebrate this historic milestone!
Thank you for being part of the Centurions legacy! Complete the Impact Survey here >>
PINNACLE
CENTURIONS APPLICATION WORKSHOP & OFFICE HOURS
THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 9:00-11:00 A.M.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program is a two-year program focused on building community awareness through civic opportunities and on community issues that affect Greater Kansas City. The mission is to prepare a representative cross-section of the community’s emerging leaders for their role in shaping the future of Greater Kansas City. Interested professionals around the Greater Kansas City region can attend our next information session on Thursday, May 28, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the KC Chamber Board Room to learn more about the program. The application workshop is an opportunity to review your application with an active Centurion prior to submission.
Register for the Application Workshop / Q&A here >>
GROUNDS FOR RECONNECTION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 | 8:30-10:30 A.M.
Join us for coffee, conversation, and reconnection! Whether it’s been months or years since you’ve last caught up, let’s gather over good coffee and even better company. All alumni and active Centurions are welcome. This event is come and go as you please, RSVP so the space can properly accommodate. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Register here >>
FROM CONFLICT TO COLLABORATION
THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 8:30-10:00 A.M.
In this session, From Conflict to Collaboration, Haley Grayless shows leaders how to approach conflict with curiosity and courage. You’ll learn a simple framework to address tension called the Conflict Pendulum, speak up with confidence, and turn challenging conversations into opportunities for connection and growth. This session equips Centurions to strengthen relationships by clearly communicating expectations and respectfully holding each other accountable.
Haley Grayless, MSOD is a leadership and team culture consultant with a master’s degree in organizational development. She helps organizations build strong leaders who cultivate healthy, productive cultures within their teams where people want to do great work. Register here >>
KC CARE HEALTH CENTER
FRIDAY, JUNE 5 | 8:30-10:00 A.M.
KC CARE Health Center invites you to a morning reconnect with your Centurion colleagues at their Midtown location, freshly renovated thanks to a successful $9.7 million initiative. Wil Franklin, President & CEO, will provide an update on the state of safety-net healthcare in Kansas City and the efforts his team is taking to encourage community wellness.
A hot breakfast and coffee from Café Corazon will be provided as will tours of the facility. Attendees will be eligible to participate in a raffle for complimentary tickets to the We Care KC Brunch on Saturday, June 13 at The Bardot. Register here >>
APEX
CENTURIONS APPLICATION WORKSHOP & OFFICE HOURS
THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 9:00-11:00 A.M.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program is a two-year program focused on building community awareness through civic opportunities and on community issues that affect Greater Kansas City. The mission is to prepare a representative cross-section of the community’s emerging leaders for their role in shaping the future of Greater Kansas City. Interested professionals around the Greater Kansas City region can attend our next information session on Thursday, May 28, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the KC Chamber Board Room to learn more about the program. The application workshop is an opportunity to review your application with an active Centurion prior to submission.
Register for the Application Workshop / Q&A here >>
GROUNDS FOR RECONNECTION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 | 8:30-10:30 A.M.
Join us for coffee, conversation, and reconnection! Whether it’s been months or years since you’ve last caught up, let’s gather over good coffee and even better company. All alumni and active Centurions are welcome. This event is come and go as you please, RSVP so the space can properly accommodate. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Register here >>
THE MEDIA AND COMBATING BIAS
FRIDAY, MAY 22 | 12:00-1:30 P.M.
Media bias and stereotyping remain persistent challenges in contemporary journalism, particularly within the cable news landscape where competitive pressures and partisan audiences have intensified these tendencies. Stories may be framed through ideological lenses that reinforce existing viewer beliefs, selectively emphasizing certain facts while downplaying others to maintain audience loyalty and ratings. This phenomenon extends beyond political coverage to include stereotypical portrayals of various demographic groups, where complex social issues are frequently reduced to simplistic narratives that confirm pre-existing assumptions rather than challenge them.
Join us in conversation with KSHB 41 news anchors Caitlin Knute and Sarah Plake to discuss what they consider when choosing and reporting on stories and how they combat bias and stereotyping. Register here >>
ISSUES UP CLOSE – BRIDGING THE GAP: LOCAL ACTION FOR LONG-TERM IMPACT
TUESDAY, MAY 26 | 4:30-5:30 P.M.
We are pleased to announce our final upcoming Issues Up Close Session discussing Bridging the Gap: Local Action for Long-Term Impact. We will have a panel discussion made up of all of Kansas City’s heavy hitters on the strategic and comprehensive plans across the KC metro and how it came to be. This panel discussion will be located on the first ever bridge to have an entertainment center overlooking two of our most precious cities. The Rock Island Bridge. This is an Issues Up Close you don’t want to miss!
We will have a happy hour right after the session provided by the Apex Social Committee and Curriculum Committee. Come out to learn about how Kansas City is evolving with not just one particular part of Kansas City but all of Kansas City Kansas, Missouri, and Johnson County. Can’t wait to see you all there! Register here >>
FROM CONFLICT TO COLLABORATION
THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 8:30-10:00 A.M.
In this session, From Conflict to Collaboration, Haley Grayless shows leaders how to approach conflict with curiosity and courage. You’ll learn a simple framework to address tension called the Conflict Pendulum, speak up with confidence, and turn challenging conversations into opportunities for connection and growth. This session equips Centurions to strengthen relationships by clearly communicating expectations and respectfully holding each other accountable.
Haley Grayless, MSOD is a leadership and team culture consultant with a master’s degree in organizational development. She helps organizations build strong leaders who cultivate healthy, productive cultures within their teams where people want to do great work. Register here >>
KC CARE HEALTH CENTER
FRIDAY, JUNE 5 | 8:30-10:00 A.M.
KC CARE Health Center invites you to a morning reconnect with your Centurion colleagues at their Midtown location, freshly renovated thanks to a successful $9.7 million initiative. Wil Franklin, President & CEO, will provide an update on the state of safety-net healthcare in Kansas City and the efforts his team is taking to encourage community wellness.
A hot breakfast and coffee from Café Corazon will be provided as will tours of the facility. Attendees will be eligible to participate in a raffle for complimentary tickets to the We Care KC Brunch on Saturday, June 13 at The Bardot. Register here >>
SECOND-YEAR EXECUTIVE BREAKFAST
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 | 7:30-9:00 A.M.
Second-Year Centurions and their executives are invited to attend this breakfast to learn about the accomplishments of the graduating Centurions over the last two years. This is also an opportunity to see how their investment in the program will return a more engaged, educated, thoughtful, and connected leader. Register here >>
ALUMNI
CENTURIONS APPLICATION WORKSHOP & OFFICE HOURS
THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 9:00-11:00 A.M.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program is a two-year program focused on building community awareness through civic opportunities and on community issues that affect Greater Kansas City. The mission is to prepare a representative cross-section of the community’s emerging leaders for their role in shaping the future of Greater Kansas City. Interested professionals around the Greater Kansas City region can attend our next information session on Thursday, May 28, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the KC Chamber Board Room to learn more about the program. The application workshop is an opportunity to review your application with an active Centurion prior to submission.
Register for the Application Workshop / Q&A here >>
GROUNDS FOR RECONNECTION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 | 8:30-10:30 A.M.
Join us for coffee, conversation, and reconnection! Whether it’s been months or years since you’ve last caught up, let’s gather over good coffee and even better company. All alumni and active Centurions are welcome. This event is come and go as you please, RSVP so the space can properly accommodate. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Register here >>
THE MEDIA AND COMBATING BIAS
FRIDAY, MAY 22 | 12:00-1:30 P.M.
Media bias and stereotyping remain persistent challenges in contemporary journalism, particularly within the cable news landscape where competitive pressures and partisan audiences have intensified these tendencies. Stories may be framed through ideological lenses that reinforce existing viewer beliefs, selectively emphasizing certain facts while downplaying others to maintain audience loyalty and ratings. This phenomenon extends beyond political coverage to include stereotypical portrayals of various demographic groups, where complex social issues are frequently reduced to simplistic narratives that confirm pre-existing assumptions rather than challenge them.
Join us in conversation with KSHB 41 news anchors Caitlin Knute and Sarah Plake to discuss what they consider when choosing and reporting on stories and how they combat bias and stereotyping. Register here >>
FROM CONFLICT TO COLLABORATION
THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 8:30-10:00 A.M.
In this session, From Conflict to Collaboration, Haley Grayless shows leaders how to approach conflict with curiosity and courage. You’ll learn a simple framework to address tension called the Conflict Pendulum, speak up with confidence, and turn challenging conversations into opportunities for connection and growth. This session equips Centurions to strengthen relationships by clearly communicating expectations and respectfully holding each other accountable.
Haley Grayless, MSOD is a leadership and team culture consultant with a master’s degree in organizational development. She helps organizations build strong leaders who cultivate healthy, productive cultures within their teams where people want to do great work. Register here >>
KC CARE HEALTH CENTER
FRIDAY, JUNE 5 | 8:30-10:00 A.M.
KC CARE Health Center invites you to a morning reconnect with your Centurion colleagues at their Midtown location, freshly renovated thanks to a successful $9.7 million initiative. Wil Franklin, President & CEO, will provide an update on the state of safety-net healthcare in Kansas City and the efforts his team is taking to encourage community wellness.
A hot breakfast and coffee from Café Corazon will be provided as will tours of the facility. Attendees will be eligible to participate in a raffle for complimentary tickets to the We Care KC Brunch on Saturday, June 13 at The Bardot. Register here >>
SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL ALUMNI MEETING
THURSDAY, JULY 23 | 8:00-10:00 A.M.
Join the Centurions Alumni Board as they recap the 2025-2026 program year; honor the 2026 Bernard Powell Award Recipient; and vote on the 2026-2027 Alumni Board slate. Reconnect with your past classmates and meet other Centurions Alumni. Please join us on Thursday, July 23, from 8:00-10:00 A.M. at Starlight Theatre. Registration will open in the coming weeks.