The ability to interact and appreciate different parts of the community is a key focus for Leadership Kalamazoo, and Rob Tate, team leader at Duncan Aviation, said it was also one of his biggest takeaways from the program.

“The biggest thing was how the program opened your eyes to so many different things that were going on in the community. The different modules touched on just about every segment of our economy, local government, and other areas. I was able to take away a better understanding of how the community worked, how everyone was interconnected, and really, how important it was to develop leaders in the community.”

As a 2003 Alumnus of the program, Rob has been able to continue his, and support others’, leadership development thanks to the support of his employer, Duncan Aviation.

“The hope is that you can continue to develop others around you. That’s something that I’ve been trying to do as much as I can. And, now that I lead a team of technicians, every day is an opportunity to train and mentor.”

Another focus of Leadership Kalamazoo is to support community engagement. In addition to developing leaders in his organization, Rob has also supported the community through his time on the United Way committee at Duncan Aviation.

For Rob, that continued interaction with an external, community effort has been gratifying. He said that the Leadership Kalamazoo program encouraged him to remain engaged and “feel that I had some connection with what was going on outside of our little world here at the airport and make an impact— a positive impact.”