To Leadership Texarkana, With Love
/By Ruth Ellen Whitt
photo by shane darby.
After 15 years as the executive director of Leadership Texarkana (LT), I will be stepping away from that position on June 1st. It’s time, and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of my life. At the same time, I’m extremely proud of the tenfold transformational growth Leadership Texarkana has experienced since 2010.
The original impetus for Leadership Texarkana was, “There aren’t enough people stepping up to lead the way in Texarkana USA.” Since LT’s inception 45 years ago, this statement has been flipped on its head. I am so proud of the growing numbers of citizens who are connecting with Leadership Texarkana, interested in understanding more about their opportunity and responsibility to be a leader in the community. We are a community filled with individuals who are motivated and equipped to step up and lead the way toward community excellence, pride, and progress.
Our M.O. has been to imagine and pursue every creative means toward those ends, not just for participants in the LT flagship program but for every citizen in the community at-large—because every single citizen will benefit from our best outcomes. One successful initiative is the goTXK web presence, which is powered by the reality that people invest themselves in what they love. goTXK’s mission has been to engage with locals regarding who we are, what we value, and what we have going on. An unintended positive consequence has been that the goTXK assets are powerful for recruiting students and visitors to Texarkana USA.
Our community is in competition every day with every community in the nation and the world, for every higher-ed student, patient, gas customer, tourist, cool creative, professional, retail giant, restaurant, grocery, accountant, etc. Industry may require water and power, but every native or newcomer we want to attract as a resident chooses for themselves communities of excellence, however each defines it.
Texarkana can be whatever we choose to make it, as long as we work with intention, take responsibility, and seize opportunity. As my friend Brian Goesl always taught: this is a community where you can make a difference. We all want community excellence; it makes our lives better and attracts others to what we enjoy. To pursue this, we must cultivate what I believe is the most important skill for community leadership: the ability to work together. Knowing how to gather a group and get them to doing—if a person can’t do this, he can’t lead.
A huge part of leadership is inspiring others to join and stick with you and your cause. People like to work with Leadership Texarkana because everyone who shows up is there to serve, to make things better. I believe LT’s voice of positivity has community-wide impact.
The past 15 years of LT progress and impact on Texarkana USA are a testament to the power and potential of what thousands of community leaders can accomplish when they say yes to working together with common vision, pooled investment, and unflagging commitment to community excellence, pride, and progress. I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of LT grads who have generously supported and advanced LT’s initiatives, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to share leadership wisdom with thousands more business and community leaders of all ages. What a privilege it has been to serve this truly unique organization—in partnership with so many amazing leaders. Leadership Texarkana’s story is definitely not a one-man show!
Leadership Texarkana celebrated 40 years in 2020. photo by alamond photography.
LT is on a roll, and I believe that Leadership Texarkana’s best future and biggest positive impact on TXK USA is yet to come. Leadership Texarkana has untapped potential for adding excellence to life in Texarkana and is worth the generous support of business and community leaders. There are ever more reasons to keep saying yes, especially given that LT will be celebrating its 50th birthday in 2030, only five short years from now.
I can’t think of any community leader better suited to lead Leadership Texarkana into the future than Dr. Jenny Walker. She is a proven-visionary community leader who knows leadership, Texarkana, and Leadership Texarkana. She understands LT’s power and potential—and its mission.
No matter what your work or position in our community, this work yields benefits for you—so say yes to connecting with this amazing organization and yes to investing in this exciting new chapter of Leadership Texarkana.