About Leadership Texarkana

Leadership Texarkana is the organization with the best chance of producing sustainable, positive change in our community. 

-James Bass, Leadership Texarkana Class of 2012 
Deputy Director, Directorate for Logistics, Red River Army Depot


Our Mission

Leadership Texarkana exists to cultivate, connect, and engage leaders in working together for community excellence, pride, and progress.


About Us

Believing that every organization - or community - rises or falls on its commitment to leadership, Leadership Texarkana is committed to:

  1. Educating leaders for our community, through:
    • The flagship Leadership Texarkana class, an annual 9-month program for 30 community leaders
    • Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders for area high school students, and
    • Ongoing opportunities for in-depth understanding of community issues and leadership training for graduates and the community-at-large, including LEADERCAST
  2. Identifying and celebrating models of exemplary community leadership through the annual Wilbur and Idalee Hawkins Awards - because...

    …EXAMPLE is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the ONLY thing.

    –Albert Schweitzer

  3. Most importantly, Leadership Texarkana is invested in engaging greater numbers of caring citizens as leaders throughout the greater Texarkana community through LIFT:  the Leadership Initiative for Texarkana–by providing the motivation and the means for Working Together for Community Excellence, Pride and Progress.


Why it matters

Working together is the key to our community’s best future. Texarkana citizens have proven time and again that we are a community of excellence, and we achieve it when are working together with common purpose throughout the community for the benefit of all.

When we don’t work together, we are settling for half as nice and miss opportunities for excellence that would benefit us all: our businesses, our families, our institutions, our city governments, our region.

Leadership Texarkana is committed to ensuring Texarkana’s best future by fostering a culture and a community full of citizens taking responsibility for and working together for community excellence, pride, and progress!