Hispanics in and around Emporia are being encouraged to take on leadership roles in the community, and Visit Emporia held a special Community Conversation to talk more about what it may take to make that happen.
Visit Emporia brought in three speakers, including Daniela Rivas, currently McPherson’s assistant city administrator and finance director. She says a leadership focus developed at an early age for her.
Also speaking was Ernestor de la Rosa, the assistant city manager of Dodge City, a native of Mexico and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA recipient. He considers himself a “voice for the voiceless,” and he says it’s extremely important for Hispanics to stand up and take leadership roles.
Huascar Medina, the poet laureate of Kansas, was also at the event before a question-and-answer session on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. Rivas says it’s important to connect with people in various ways and you don’t have to look a certain way to be an effective leader.
About 50 people attended the event at the Emporia Granada Theatre.
