Lia McIntosh, M.B.A., M.Div.

As Director, Lia is a member of the Civic Council’s senior management team and is responsible for coordinating the various project managers, strategic partners, stakeholders, and volunteers who are engaged in KC Rising and its initiatives. She is responsible for ensuring that strategies under the KC Rising umbrella are executed effectively and in alignment with the expectations of the KC Rising Steering Committee and the KC Rising Co-Chairs. She works closely with the management teams from partner organizations to maintain shared ownership and advocacy for KC Rising.
 
Lia is an experienced leader, having most recently served as Program Officer for the Kauffman Foundation where she led the Kauffman Education Fellowship to empower community leaders to examine pressing issues in education, explore equity in schools, and learn the fundamentals of community organizing. She has expertise in project and program leadership and excels at launching new initiatives, team building, relationship management, and systems development.
 
Lia is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach, a Gallup certified CliftonStrengths coach, and author of three books. Additionally, she is a United Methodist Church endorsed life coach and formerly served as a pastor of four congregations and the Associate Director of Congregational Excellence for the Missouri United Methodist Annual Conference. 
 
Lia is a graduate of the University of Missouri and Saint Paul School of Theology with master’s degrees in business (MBA) and Divinity (M. DIV). Previously, Lia served clients across the Midwest in corporate marketing and specialized in leading, training, and coaching employees with the Procter & Gamble Distributing Co.  
 
She lives with her husband and three children near Kansas City, Missouri.