Leadership Speaker to share as part of 101 Reasons Week

By MEGHAN HOLLAND, Staff Reporter |

Dave ‘Gonzo’ Kelly; a professional trainer, motivator and servant leader; will be speaking to Amarillo College students from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, March 29, in the Oak Room. 

He will be speaking about advocacy, activism and getting things done. His program is called “Be a Positive Force for Change as a Visionary Leader,” and it will help students become more engaged in changes on campus as well as changes within themselves, Kelly said.

In order to develop effective leaders, a person should first know what a leader is, said Kelly. “A manager manages and deals with things. There are leadership skills in that, but a leader initiates things and rallies for a change,” said Kelly. “Leaders inspire and communicate.”

Ilse Perez, a sonography major, said she hopes to attend Kelly’s presentation. “Being a leader is not having people following you and you telling them what to do. Being a leader means you help people with any task they may have, setting an example and also following,” Perez said. 

Perez also said that leaders should constantly be learning because it will improve their abilities, help others and help themselves in the long run.

According to Kelly, a leader should not try to do everything for themselves; responsibilities must be shared if other people are going to learn leadership skills. “If you’re asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ you’re asking the wrong question.” A leader should consider other people when they take actions, he said.

Kelly said that he loves working with students. It is one of his favorite things about his job: “to know that there are students who are eager to learn about leadership and that they enjoy learning about it from me is exciting.”

“I really hope that students will come out to the program,” said Kelly. “Students really have a great opportunity to have influence on their lives and the lives of others around them. The different ways that they can get involved really give them the change to influence the world around them.” He also said that he hopes students will have some fun and learn something along the way.

Students may attend the presentation, which also includes lunch, free of charge. 

“I think having student leaders is critical,” Sami Landers, the co-adviser of Phi Theta Kappa, said. “Without student leaders, we couldn’t function, and the whole reason we are at Amarillo College, faculty and staff, is to develop our students as leaders.” 

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