TeamKC: Life+Talent, an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council and the region’s top resource for promoting KC as a lifestyle and career destination, hosted its first annual Training Camp talent summit for 350 area HR pros at the College Basketball Experience in KC.
“Over the last 12 years, TeamKC has become an essential resource for our region’s largest employers,” said Jessica Palm, managing director of TeamKC. “With a current unemployment rate of 3.2% in KC, 2018 was the right time to establish an annual event to bring the industry together and inspire continuous improvement of our efforts to compete for the top job candidates globally.”
In response to TeamKC members’ growing interest in ensuring KC is a welcoming place for all individuals new to our community, TeamKC unveiled Explore KC. This brand-new resource was built from surveys of current KC residents in various cultural communities including women, LatinX, Asian American, and LGBTQ, and more. Explore KC offers easily digestible quick reference guides for use with candidates and new hires providing them with demographic data, community resources and listings of KC ambassadors within each community. Phase one of Explore KC was launched at today’s event and will continue to expand throughout 2018.
The event also introduced the region’s first-ever TeamKC MVP Award, presented to Children’s Mercy Hospital’s talent recruitment team.
TeamKC officially welcomed its newly elected co-chair and eight new members to the TeamKC: Life+Talent Advisory Board. Steven Green, talent acquisition manager, vice president for State Street, will join Jen Parker, recruitment manager for Burns & McDonnell, as leaders of the board.
“Being involved with TeamKC has already provided our company with numerous opportunities and talent,” said Green. “I’m glad to work with people that are so eager to showcase the best candidates based on strategies we can work on together as a team.”
Green and Parker will help guide KCADC’s TeamKC staff on regional and national trends in recruiting talent at all levels of employment, as well as specific challenges and opportunities in attracting top talent to work for companies in the KC region.
“Kansas City is the perfect market for recruiting top talent,” said Parker. “I’m honored to help lead the advisory board as we explore several new resources and efforts in 2018.”
Green succeeds Erin Dill, senior program manager for Cerner Careers at Cerner who served as TeamKC Advisory Board co-chair for the past two years. Dill will remain on the Advisory Board as a member.
During Dill’s two-year term as co-chair, TeamKC enhanced its strategic partnerships with area industry and workforce organizations, developed a focus on diversity and inclusion strategies, created the first annual event for the TeamKC Network, partnered with KC Rising, the region’s long-term economic growth plan; and complemented KCADC’s efforts in attracting 7,400 jobs and $298 million in payroll to the KC region.
“It’s tremendous to see all of these companies and organizations coming together with a common goal – to make KC a top destination for talent to live and work,” Dill said. “The work that we do is making a difference in how our region performs on the national stage, and I believe we have made an impact on the way companies in KC compete for top talent.”
TeamKC also welcomed several new members to its advisory board, including: Andrew Bash, Bash Real Estate; Doug King, DST; Lakeesha Scott, Honeywell FM&T; Nathon Miller, Kelly Services; Jessica Hamilton, Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council; Kelly Dippold, Lockton Companies; Erin Christensen, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Kimberly Spencer, VML.
The TeamKC 2018 members join the following current board members: John McLaughlin, Black & Veatch; Molly Weaver, Children’s Mercy Hospital; Kyle Wright, Dairy Farmers of America; Michelle Cormack, Garmin International, Inc.; Fred Wise, Hallmark Cards, Inc.; Kyri Gorges, KPMG LLP and Amy Ellzey, Virgin Mobile USA.
TeamKC board members serve limited terms on a rotating basis - one year for service providers, educational institutions and community partners, and two years for corporate representatives.
About TeamKC: Life+Talent
TeamKC is an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) with guidance from an advisory board of 19 of the area’s top companies. TeamKC currently serves a network of 750 talent acquisition leaders and 250 KC area employers. The initiative works to create a competitive advantage by fostering collaboration among the region’s HR professionals to amplify Kansas City’s livability assets to potential employees, making the region a top lifestyle and career destination. | TeamKC.com