(Buffalo, NY) –Bill Strickland, President & CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, will present “The Art of Leadership” during the Buffalo City Forum and buffet luncheon on Tuesday, May 20 at 12:15 pm in the WNED studios, 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo. After his speech, this national leader in community education and training will answer questions from the audience.

BUFFALO CITY FORUM, open to the public, is produced by WNED-AM 970 and Leadership Buffalo. This quarterly speaker series is made possible by the support of lead sponsor Independent Health with additional support from Hunt Real Estate and M&T Bank.  As a community partner on this event, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo will host a forum discussion with invited community leaders after Strickland’s presentation.

The hour-long FORUM will be broadcast live (on WNED-AM 970/HD2-94.5 and wned.org/news) beginning at 1 pm. (Attendees must be seated by 12:45 pm.) WNED-AM News Director Jim Ranney will host.

Bill Strickland inspires audiences to harness the power of believing in people. His message is as simple as it is profound: “Give people the tools they need, treat them with respect and they will perform miraculous deeds.”

Through centers for empowerment that employ and train thousands, his growing corporation has created a model for education, training and the arts. Strickland also founded the MCG Jazz series, the nation’s longest running and most successful jazz subscription series.

His work has earned him a MacArthur Genius grant, a Grammy award, an invitation to lecture at Harvard University and a seat on the board of the National Endowment for the Arts.

“A successful life is not something you simply pursue, it is something that you create, moment by moment,” he says. In his latest book, Make the Impossible Possible, Strickland tells the story of his successful centers and of his own eventful life.

Fast Company magazine’s founding editor, WIlliam Taylor, wrote, “Bill Strickland is quite simply one of the most inspiring human beings and one of the most mesmerizing speakers I have ever met. [H]e uses his authentic personality to communicate a powerful message of change, hope and making a difference. His voice is the right voice for these confusing and difficult times.”

This Buffalo City Forum event costs $20 ($15 for members of WNED or Leadership Buffalo). Advanced registration is encouraged; RSVPs must be received by Friday, May 16. Tickets are available from Leadership Buffalo [(716) 849-2626, ext. 17 or shiller@leadershipbuffalo.org].

WNED-AM 970 is a station of the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNYPBA). The others are WNED-TV, Classical 94.5/WNED and ThinkBright TV. The member-supported WNYPBA provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate our communities.

Leadership Buffalo, established in 1987, is the premier independent leadership skills training program in Western New York. The not-for-profit corporation is committed to developing current and future leaders of Buffalo and Erie County by enhancing our social capital and helping leaders to lead from a common set of four core values: service, diversity, inclusion and openness to change.