10 minute read
A Look at Leawood’s Leaders
Hear from the chamber president, the chief of police, the fire chief, and the city clerk.
By Jill Dutton
Portraits by Strauss Peyton Portrait Studio, www.strausspeytonkc.com
In every great city, community pillars provide a foundation of services. For Leawood, these departments and their leaders enhance the city’s thriving neighborhoods, community spirit, and local businesses.
With growth comes change, and these changes lead to key responsibilities within each organization. Whether it’s the president of the Chamber, the chief of police, the fire chief, or the city clerk, each is dedicated to the city and to shaping the future of Leawood.
Through the following interviews, each key member offers insights into the inner workings of our city, allowing us to take a closer look at the individuals who dedicate their time and efforts to ensure Leawood remains a community of progress.
Dale Finger, Chief of Police
For 17 years, Finger has been with the Leawood Police Department, the past two years proudly serving as the police chief.
What do you like most about your job? There are several aspects of my job that bring me great satisfaction. First and foremost, like many in law enforcement, I find immense fulfillment in helping others and serving our community. As police chief, I also appreciate the opportunity to witness the community’s gratitude for the dedicated service provided by our officers, dispatchers, records specialists, and animal control officers. This gratitude and overwhelming support from the citizens and businesses of Leawood make my job very rewarding.
Another significant aspect is working with enthusiastic employees who are dedicated to providing exceptional service. Witnessing their professional growth and commitment to treating everyone with compassion and respect, regardless of the circumstances, is very fulfilling. Additionally, the camaraderie with colleagues from other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies is much appreciated and invaluable as we collaborate to support one another when needed.
What are the top challenges for your department? The Leawood Police Department faces challenges that are common among law enforcement agencies in Johnson County, particularly regarding the recruitment, hiring, and retention of police officers. However, we are optimistic about the future as we see a positive shift in public perception of law enforcement and the crucial role we play in serving our citizens. Moreover, enhanced pay and benefits are attracting more applicants than in the recent past, which is encouraging.
What do you see for the future of your department? Any changes? Looking ahead, I envision several important developments for our department. With the growth of Leawood, I anticipate the need for additional police officers to effectively maintain the safety and security of our community.
We are experiencing an increasing number of calls for service related to mental health incidents and crisis intervention. To address this, we are in the process of acquiring a second mental health co-responder to assist both our officers and the community during such situations.
Advancements in specialized police equipment will also continue to be a priority. We are currently testing the capabilities of electric vehicles in our patrol and traffic units, as well as expanding our drone program to enhance crash scene photography, locate suspects and missing persons in real-time situations, and improve overall efficiency and safety for both officers and the public.
We are committed to providing our officers with the best training possible. This includes using virtual reality training systems to improve their de-escalation skills and prepare them for high-stress incidents via a realistic learning environment.
Furthermore, we recognize the importance of staying ahead of emerging technologies. With the rise of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, we are proactively preparing to respond to potential future crimes associated with these technologies.
And of utmost internal importance, we will need to continue building our employee wellness and peer support programs so they experience a healthy work/life balance that will extend throughout what we hope to be a lengthy career with the Leawood Police Department.
What would you like the residents of Leawood to know about your department? I want to assure the residents that they can always rely on us for any public safety assistance they may need. We are committed to providing professional and caring service to our community at all times. The overwhelming support we receive from the residents is deeply appreciated, and it motivates us in our dedicated service.
Finally, I want the community to know that the Leawood Governing Body plays a crucial role in ensuring our department receives the necessary funding to provide exceptional service. Their support is instrumental in maintaining the safety and well-being of our community, and we are grateful for their partnership.
Stephen Powell, City Clerk
Powell began his duties as city clerk in March 2022 and has worked in local government for more than 20 years.
What do you like most about your job? Every day is different, and I get to work on a variety of projects and initiatives. This keeps it interesting and challenging. I love a good challenge! The employees and Governing Body members are also incredible to work with. It’s really nice to be part of a team that truly cares about the City and each other.
What are the top challenges for your office? Communications have become a priority for our office. The Governing Body approved a new communications manager position earlier this year. This position will be responsible for developing a strategic communications plan and rolling out new communications initiatives to better connect with residents and businesses.
What do you see for the future of your office? Any changes? We’re starting to implement new technology initiatives throughout the City. These will most likely affect every department. Change management will be important because change can be difficult. The good news is that we have excellent leaders throughout the organization to ensure that the needs of the City are being met and balanced with the needs of the employees and the organization. I’m excited to see these changes come to fruition because they will help us provide better and more efficient services to our residents and business owners.
What would you like the residents of Leawood to know about your department? The City Clerk’s Office consists of a dedicated team of servant leaders who are passionate about public service. We’re here to help our residents and businesses in any way we can. Whether it’s a dog tag, alcohol license, or records request, we pride ourselves in providing quick, friendly, and comprehensive services to the public.
Stephanie Meyer, MPA,
President & CEO of the Leawood Chamber & EDC
Meyer says one thing that helps to make the Leawood Chamber so unique is the quality mix of high-end retailers—and the diversity of businesses—providing some of the most prominent shopping districts in the county.
“Leawood is a destination site for the county, and really, all of the metro. In addition, the high mix of locally owned businesses blends to provide something for everyone.
“Someone can shop the national retailers at Town Center, or go to Ranch Mart Center and shop locally owned businesses, depending on their desires. Leawood is really an entertainment and shopping destination.”
What would you like people to know about the chamber? Where is it going? The Chamber is in transition; I’ve been in my role for about 10 months now—only the second CEO we’ve ever had, so I’m looking at ways to evolve. We’re excited to take the chamber to the next level. We’re looking for ways to get our members more engaged, get them involved. One way is through a new small business series that launched earlier this year. Then a Leadership Leawood program that starts in January. We’re really focused on providing a variety of programming that is relevant and appeals to all businesses.
What challenges are you facing in your new position? We’re looking at ways to be more flexible; first we must be approachable for everyone.
What’s your favorite aspect of working as the chamber president? I come from a city background, so it’s really fun for me to watch all these incredible projects as they’re initiated. I’m passionate about the Chamber, which makes it such a joy to come to work every day. Truly.
Colin Fitzgerald, Fire Chief
Since March 2020, Fitzgerald has served as Leawood’s fire chief. He has a total of 28 years in the fire service, 12 years of it with Leawood.
“I got my start as a firefighter in the Air Force,” Fitzgerald says, “and did some contract firefighting for the DOD overseas and also worked for the City of Lenexa Fire Department for 11 years.”
He says one fun fact is that he took over as fire chief one week before the City went into COVID lockdown.
What do you like most about your job? It’s a combination of things. I really enjoy the people I work with here at the City of Leawood, and the citizens we serve are awesome. I also like the fact that every day is different with a unique set of challenges. Being the fire chief for a smaller city brings all the same responsibilities as a chief at a bigger city as all the same services are required, but it also adds additional duties as there are fewer staff members overall to take on specialized roles.
We have also run out of places for training, especially in the high risk/low frequency specialties such as fire suppression. So, we are working with city administration and the Governing Body to plan for both the short term, immediate needs, and also future growth to continue to meet the needs of the City of Leawood.
What do you see for the future of your department? Any changes? I believe in the next few years we will add another fire station and new fire administration headquarters in the center of the City, close to City Hall and the Justice Center. We’ll begin adding personnel and equipment, initially for EMS quick response units (squads) and also administrative support personnel. We will also add a training center and begin planning for the demands that development of the 135th Street corridor will bring.
What would you like the residents of Leawood to know about your department? We are a high-performing and progressive department. We’ve been internationally accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) since 2015. We have had an ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating of 1 since 2016. This is on a 1-10 scale where a rating of 1 is considered superior, while 10 is considered without fire protection. Only 114 fire departments in the United States—out of 29,452 recognized departments—meet both of those criteria. Additionally, all LFD officers are professionally credentialed through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC). This program requires proof of continuous improvement in multiple areas, including education, training, community service, and professional contributions to remain credentialed. We are the only department I know of in the region with that accomplishment.
Additionally, we offer a lot of public services that many people are not aware of, including:
• Blood pressure checks
• CPR/AED/first aid classes
• Hands-on CPR training
• Fire extinguisher training
• Fire inspections
• Fire investigations
• Firefighter visits
• Fire station tours
• Juvenile fire setter intervention
• School programs
• Car seat installation
• Home safety surveys
• Detector assistance
• Community presentations
More information can be found on our website: www.leawood.org/fire
