Kellogg Grant Fuels Large-Scale Expansion of CPA Leadership and Communications Initiatives

$3.7 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will enable CPA to expand efforts to build leadership resources for traditionally under-represented populations, support state-elected officials across party, gender and race lines and use cutting-edge communications technology to bring policy leaders together to share information.

"The Kellogg grant enables CPA to support today’s legislators and develop leaders for the 21^st century." CPA President and CEO Linda Tarr-Whelan.

The new grant builds on CPA’s established leadership development experience by providing continued funding for the Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute, and adding a special Flemming Fellows program for states with term limits and two new Community Policy and Leadership Forums for leaders in the Southwest and West.

"At CPA, we’ve been a resource for state elected leaders for over 20 years," said CPA President and CEO Linda Tarr-Whelan. "As responsibilities steadily devolve to the states, state leaders have asked us to expand our efforts to get them quick access to good information and help them build leadership skills. The Kellogg grant enables CPA to support today’s legislators and develop leaders for the 21^st century."

"This grant award is an important element of a W.K. Kellogg strategy to increase the capacity of states, local governments, communities and citizens to actively participate in creating public policy which leads to a more civil society," according to Dr. John Burkhardt, Program Director for Leadership and Higher Education at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute began three years ago with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Institute workshops have helped over 100 first- or second-term state legislators work across traditional barriers of gender, race and party and learn more productive methods for decision-making.

"When CPA started the Leadership Institute three years ago, we were honored that Arthur Flemming thought well enough of the program to lend us his name — the only program he honored in this way," said Tarr Whelan. "We feel particularly proud that this grant from the Kellogg Foundation allows us to expand a program that instills in state leaders the values and leadership skills which Arthur Flemming personified."