In 1982, Texas Governor Ann Richards sought a pool of qualified women leaders from which she could appoint to various state positions, commissions and boards. Governor Richards was unable to find this pool of prepared, qualified women leaders to take on these assignments. In order to fill this void, Governor Richards helped to establish a women’s leadership training program targeted at midcareer, professional women, to specifically prepare them for state leadership positions. This later become known as Leadership Texas. Southwestern Bell Corporation-Texas was one of the primary sponsors of this leadership program.

In the late 1980s, Southwestern Bell employees who were graduates of Leadership Texas were transferred to St. Louis, Missouri. These women unsuccessfully looked for a program similar to Leadership Texas and decided to start a comparable program in Missouri. Southwestern Bell-St. Louis became the lead corporation for this newly founded leadership program. The program was organized and the first Board of Directors included women from a variety of Missouri based corporations. Today the board of directors is comprised of leaders from small business, corporations, the public sector and nonprofits.

In 1990, the first class went through the leadership program. The focus of this class was to acquaint women, already in management and leadership positions, with Missouri issues. The program is conducted in four cities to expose women to a wide variety of state issues.

Each year, in a highly competitive selection process, a limited number of outstanding women leaders are accepted into program membership. The participants meet for four, three-day session combining continuing education in leadership development, information and major discussion of state policy issues, and exposure to the philosophies and thoughts of the state’s business, cultural, educational and political leaders.

With the wealth of talented women in the state, Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge provides an enriching experience for both the participants and the state and provides new channels of communication to broaden the participation of women in addressing the critical issues facing Missouri.