The Kansas Business Roundtable Civic Champion Award honors Kansas individuals, organizations, and businesses that promote respectful dialogue, demonstrate dignity in public discourse, and work in a bipartisan manner to make progress on a difficult issue.
Civic Champions
Purpose
To recognize Kansas individuals, organizations, and businesses that exemplify respectful, civil discourse or engage across the aisle in constructive dialogue on a substantive issue.
The Civic Champion award presented by the Kansas Business Roundtable recognizes the demonstrated use of civil language in public discourse.
- In these challenging times, finding a path forward when views differ requires treating people with dignity. The things we say matter.
- A Civic Champion is a person, organization, or business that has demonstrated in public discourse that we can disagree honestly while respecting each other’s inherent value as humans and as Kansans.
The award is intended to encourage civic leaders to consider thoughtfully their language, especially during discussion of a difficult issue or in referring to those who view the issue differently.
The Civic Champion Team award is a second category to recognize bipartisan efforts to make progress on an issue important to the state’s future.
- Working “across the aisle” is risky and difficult.
- This award recognizes civic leadership focused on finding common ground while maintaining kindness and civility.
The issue being worked on is not necessarily endorsed by the Kansas Business Roundtable but should not be in conflict with its core values of integrity, collaboration, and bipartisanship.
Criteria
Individual
Organization
Business
Who can be nominated
An individual, organization, or business in Kansas who has demonstrated excellence in civic leadership and encourages both sides of an issue to be discussed. The language used by nominees will be assessed using the Dignity Index Scoring Guide. Learn more at Dignity.Us.
Nominations will be considered without regard to religion, political party, gender, race, color, national origin, citizenship, or disability.
Nominations will be retained for future consideration. Multiple nominations for the same individual or organization are not necessary. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Make your nomination using this form. If you have any difficulty with the form, contact kathy.sexton@wichita.edu.
Award Presentation & Recognition
On September 29, 2026, Chris Croft was named the inaugural Civic Champion. Chris is a state representative from Overland Park. He serves as House Majority Leader. His language ranks high on the Dignity Index. The words he uses ensure dignity is not stripped from people who see an issue differently from him.
On September 29, 2026, Dinah Sykes and Chase Blasi were named the inaugural Civic Champion Team in recognition of their bipartisan efforts to find common ground on key issues. Both are state senators and leaders of their parties within the Kansas Senate. They frequently work together and prioritize their trusting and respectful professional relationship.
