The largest talent leadership summit in KC brought together leaders from around the region to gain insight into global talent trends and how to leverage KC’s momentum 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – February 26, 2024 – TeamKC, a strategic initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council and the KC region’s authority on HR and talent acquisition, hosted its annual Training Camp event on Thursday, February 22.

The summit, hosted at Starlight Theatre, brought together more than 300 professionals from across the metro to learn about how the KC market stacks up in the global race for talent and how to harness the region’s business and lifestyle assets.

“The power of the TeamKC network is undeniable. These are the professionals working to cultivate our community, bringing in the talent that helps KC grow and succeed as we compete to attract candidates from around the country – and around the world,” said Danielle Hilton, managing director of TeamKC at the Kansas City Area of Development Council. “At Training Camp and events throughout the year, TeamKC fosters knowledge sharing and thought leadership that provides our region’s HR and talent acquisition professionals with the tools they need to attract and retain top talent.”

Community played a central theme throughout the TeamKC Training Camp program:

• Keith Bradley, co-owner of Made in KC, shared his insights on how to incorporate Kansas City’s unique story and leverage its current momentum when recruiting candidates, emphasizing that “enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare.”

• A talent trends panel, moderated by Bill Hurrelbrink of KCTV5 and featuring Julie Deane, chief people officer at KCAS Bio; LeAna Flores, director of diversity, inclusion and belonging at H&R Block; and Kristen Walters, vice president of HR at Panasonic Energy, focused on unique strategies to boost attraction and retention. These included strategic community partnerships, creative total reward offerings and building a culture of authenticity and belonging.

• Keynote speaker for Training Camp, Shane Feldman, shared his “leadership passport” – unique stories handpicked from his travels in more than 30 countries that illustrate how to build engaged communities. Named one of North America’s Top 40 Under 40 LGBTQ+ Leaders, Shane’s universal strategies for community leadership optimize team culture and talent retention.

In recognition of its incalculable contributions to the Kansas City region throughout the last several years, the 2024 TeamKC MVP Award was presented to Union Station Kansas City. As the backdrop to major community events including the NFL Draft, and as a symbol of KC’s perseverance in the wake of the tragic events of February 14, Union Station remains an iconic historical asset contributing to Kansas City as a top destination for talent.

“Today, at the front of our building, a brilliant red banner proclaims: ‘Kansas City Strong and United,’” said George Guastello, president and CEO of Union Station. “As candidates visit Kansas City, we invite them to come to Union Station and be a part of our rich and diverse history, showing them the strength and unity of KC’s people and places. We will welcome them with open arms just as we have for the past 110 years.”

Following immensely popular feedback, TeamKC released its second annual Scouting Report, a comprehensive analysis of national recruitment and retention trends. TeamKC also unveiled its new digital edition of KC Options, an annual publication showcasing the region’s most compelling people, places and companies, consistently ranked by HR and talent professionals as the No. 1 tool to seal the deal with top talent.

“The resources and partnerships through TeamKC’s are essential to the network’s success, from access events and networking opportunities to the annual summer intern program that connects early career professionals with lifestyle activities across the region,” Lauren Bertram, talent acquisition director at Burns & McDonnell and TeamKC board co-chair. “When we come together, we are stronger, and the connections we make through TeamKC help us all year long.”

As the KC region’s authority on talent acquisition and retention, TeamKC has helped to attract thousands of individuals to the area in the last decade and supported major economic development successes including Panasonic, USDA, Meta and URBN, among others.

The TeamKC Board of Advisors is comprised of representatives at leading companies in the KC region, including BHC, Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Children's Mercy, Dairy Farmers of America, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Garmin International, Inc., H&R Block, Hallmark Cards, Inc., Henderson Engineers | Henderson Building Solutions, Kansas City National Security Campus - managed by Honeywell FM&T, KCAS Bio, Kansas City University, Moonshot Solutions, Lockton Companies, McCownGordon Construction, Netsmart, Oracle, Panasonic Energy and T-Mobile.

About TeamKC
TeamKC, an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council, is the KC region’s authority on promoting Kansas City as a destination for talent. Working closely with a number of regional partners, TeamKC acts as an extension of the recruiting and HR teams of more than 250 major employers, a network of 1,100+ recruiters in the KC region, helping them navigate and respond to talent market influences every day. As the region’s effort to help employers attract the best and brightest talent, TeamKC helps ensure candidates say “yes” to relocate to or stay in the region to start or further their career. Learn more at www.TeamKC.com.

About the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC)
Serving the 18-county, two-state Kansas City area, the Kansas City Area Development Council is an economic development nonprofit that promotes the region’s business and lifestyle assets to companies and talent around the world. Working closely with its two states, and 50-plus county and community partners, the region has attracted more than 64,000 new jobs over its 45-year history. KCADC also leads the efforts behind the KC Animal Health Corridor, KC SmartPort, TeamKC, KC Global Design and KC Heartland. thinkKC.com