American-Kenyan Alliance Launches
Leadership Development Africa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dallas, Texas, April 21, 2011 – Dallas-based Strategic Leadership Development International has entered a joint venture with Leadership Training Associates International of Nairobi, Kenya to provide extensive leadership development programs for nations of East Africa.

Known as Leadership Development Africa, the initiative focuses on training to benefit both business and government leaders at all levels. The first trainings are slated for the third quarter of 2011 in Kenya and Rwanda, with plans to expand to Uganda in 2012.

Dr. Mike Armour, president of Strategic Leadership Development International, travels to Nairobi and Kigali in late April to finalize arrangements. His visit is to include meetings with high-ranking government officials, including Prime Minister Bernard Makuza of Rwanda.

"Our business plan calls for long-term involvement in East Africa," Armour says. "We are also laying long-range plans to take our programs to nations everywhere on the continent."

A veteran executive coach in large American corporations, Armour will design and present the first round of trainings. Then Leadership Training Associates, led by international businessman Joseph Nyasia of Nairobi, will provide follow-on consulting and coaching services for attendees.

"This extensive follow-up sets Leadership Development Africa apart" Armour notes. "Other American leadership specialists have conducted large, one-time events in East Africa. But most have provided little or no follow up. We think that follow-up is crucial, and it has been part of our plan from the beginning."

The concept of Leadership Development Africa originated with Nyasia and several business colleagues in Nairobi in 2009. They approached Armour's company and asked if he would consider a multi-year training initiative aimed at business and government leaders in Africa.

"What drew me to this project," Armour comments, "was Nyaisa's vision of combining the best practices from American business leadership with the economic opportunities of East Africa."

Kenya and Rwanda have both articulated their long-range plans for economic expansion in highly acclaimed documents, Vision 2030 in Kenya and Vision 2020 in Rwanda. Armour calls these documents two of the finest vision statements he has ever seen.

"Using Vision 2030 and Vision 2020 as our road map," he explains, "we have structured our curriculum and coaching with the goals of these national aspirations in mind."

Rwanda and Kenya face significantly different leadership challenges in building their economic future.

Rwanda, still recovering from its horrendous genocide, is small, land-locked, and with relatively few natural resources compared to their much larger neighbors.

Kenya, on the other hand is so extensive that its challenge is to bring essential infrastructure to the far-flung rural areas within its borders.

Armour's trip to Kenya and Rwanda in late April is to finalize the venues and dates for the first round of leadership trainings. More details are made available continually at www.LeadershipDevelopmentAfrica.com.