RESILIENCE,
LEADERSHIP, AND
THE POWER OF
COMMUNITY
BY CATHY DOMSCH
There was a time when I believed resilience was
simply about endurance—about pushing through
challenges with sheer willpower. I’ve since
learned that resilience is not just about surviving
the storm; it’s about learning to dance in the
rain.
I grew up in rural Kansas, where the values of
hard work, perseverance, and community were
ingrained in every aspect of life. Rural America
isn’t just a place—it’s a rhythm, a heartbeat, a
living testament to the power of people coming
together to lift one another up. These lessons
shaped me and became the foundation of my
career, leading me to a profound realization:
communities thrive when they are empowered.
That understanding drove me to learn about
ways I could help my community and achieve
my vision of a regional community foundation
for northwest Kansas. I knew firsthand that small
communities are filled with big dreams, and
those dreams deserved resources, leadership,
and unwavering belief.
Then, in 2008, I saw an opportunity to take that
vision even further. The foundation I had poured my
heart into evolved into a regional powerhouse. It
was more than just a name change—it was a
declaration that rural communities could unite,
collaborate, and become stronger together.
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