Gary O’Bannon, Executive-in-Residence at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management recently applied his experience as a news reporter toward a new project: the Journey to Leadership podcast. In his most recent episode, Gary spoke with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II.
Congressman Cleaver is now in his seventh term representing Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which is located in the western portion of the state and includes all of Lafayette, Ray and Saline counties along with portions of Clay and Jackson counties.
After having served 12 years on the City Council of Kansas City, Cleaver was elected as the city’s first African-American Mayor in 1991.
Congressman Cleaver appeared on the Journey to Leadership Podcast during the midst of the local protests over the killing of George Floyd. In this interview, Cleaver talked about the Kansas City Police Department’s response to the protests and the Federal Government’s responsibilities relating to police reform measures and the impacts of Covid-19 on the U.S. economy.
Journey to Leadership Podcast Profile: 5th District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II from Gary OBannon on Vimeo.
About Gary O’Bannon
Gary O’Bannon recently retired as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, after a 34-year career in public service where he managed a staff of 45 HR professionals who coordinated a comprehensive human resource program for approximately 5,000 employees.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, in addition to graduating from both the Harvard and Michigan State University Schools of Negotiation. Gary has taught master’s and undergraduate-level human resource management and leadership curriculum at The Bloch School since 2012, and formerly at the University of Kansas and Avila University. He has served as a visiting instructor for George Washington University/Public Service School of Excellence in Washington, D.C. and the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York, and has been a frequent invited speaker at national and regional conferences on various human resource topics. He has also published work on the topic of generational issues.
Since 2009, Gary has been a member of the State of Missouri Human Resources Advisory Board, which provides compensation and personnel advice to the Governor’s Office, and has been the chairperson since 2014. Until his recent retirement as HR Director, he was a former member and past chair of the Bloch School of Management Human Resources Advisory Board. Currently, he serves as a Faculty Advisor for the student Human Resources Association.
During his HR career, Gary was the recipient of the Award of Excellence from the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association, as well as the Local Administrator of the Year Award from the Greater Kansas City Chapter of American Society of Public Administrators. In 1994, The Kansas City Globe newspaper cited him as one of the 100 Most Influential African-Americans.
From 1984-2003, Gary worked for various radio stations in the Kansas City area, as a news anchor and reporter. From 1984-1998, he co-hosted Urban Affairs, a public-affairs show on KCTV-5, with his long-time mentor Chuck Moore.