Ms. Klein, a middle school educator for thirteen years, joined the KYLA team in August of 2006. Her past responsibilities included social studies and language arts instruction, and sponsoring the Character Education program at the middle school level. She represented Felten Middle School as a Master Teacher Nominee in 2003, and served on several building committees and USD 489 district committees. Cathie served on the KYLA board and facilitated at KYLA’s specialized trainings, seminars and summer camps. She has been a member of Phi Delta Kappa, an international association for professional educators, since 1996. Cathie received her M.L.S. in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University.

Ms. Arnold is a 1997 graduate of Fort Hays State University with a B.B.A. in accounting. After several years serving as the Office Manager for the Department of Leadership Studies and the Center for Civic Leadership, she is now serving as the Assistant Director of the CCL and KYLA. She has served on the Kansas Womens Leadership Conference planning committee, worked with the Readership Program through the ADP, and facilitated numerous times for a variety of KYLA events.

Chantelle and her family currently reside in Hays, Kansas where she is actively involved with her children's activities, Sigma Phi Gamma social and service sorority, and the Roosevelt Home and School Association..

Amy Walsh Student Administrative Assistant / Curriculum Specialist, Kansas Youth Leadership Academy

Ms. Walsh is the Student Administrative Assistant / Curriculum Specialist for the Kansas Youth Leadership Academy. She has served as a KYLA camp counselor and camp coordinator, facilitated at numerous seminars and specialized trainings, and assists in the coordination of Leadership on & off the field conferences. Amy is from Long Island, New York and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and a cerificate in Human Resource Management.

Dr. Brungardt serves as the Director of the Center for Civic Leadership, which houses KYLA. Dr. Brungardt started the Department of Leadership Studies at Fort Hays State University in 1993, and later went on to create the Center for Civic Leadership in 2001. He has taught in the field of leadership studies for the past 13 years and was recently awarded the Omer G. Voss Distinguished Professorship under the Regent’s Faculty of Distinction Program. Over the past 12 years, he has presented and facilitated over 100 workshops throughout America. In addition, Dr. Brungardt has authored and co-authored three books and a dozen articles in the field of leadership studies. He received his B.A. in Political Studies and his M.S. in Political Science/International Relations from Fort Hays State University, and his Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and Policy Studies from Kansas State University.