Our Curriculum Director
Rich Linden has been involved with Missouri RYLA Academy leadership for 22 years, currently serving his 11th year as the Curriculum Director. He has attended 29 MO RYLAs.
Rich has presented RYLA in over 70 meetings including club presentations, district events, the multidistrict MO PETS Conference, and the only RYLA session of the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany in 2019. In the summer of 2023, Rich co-sponsored an international RYLA Facilitator Training in Kansas City.
Rich was a Rotarian for 8 years with the Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club. He served on the club board as Grants Chair, President Designate, Youth Services Chair, Vocational Chair and two years as Sergeant at Arms.
Professionally, Rich’s company, The Linden Group, has produced numerous radio and television programs in the Kansas City area for the past 30 years for all kinds of public and private agencies. He has written projects for Teen Expo (TV and radio), Worlds of Fun Grad Night (in collaboration with Bernstein-Rein), various political spots, MADD Red Ribbon Campaign, Applebee’s Restaurants, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, The UMKC Video Network, Federal Dept of Justice, and the Missouri State Governors office.
Rich is the voice of Park University and UMKC athletics, directs national collegiate championships, as well as events and fundraisers in the KC area and across the United States. He has been featured in articles for Our Children magazine, PTO Today, and The Wall Street Journal.
Check him out at: https://www.thelindenevents.com/
Our Administrative Director
Valerie Anderson was a founding member of the team that developed the multidistrict RYLA concept for Missouri in 2003. She has been with the program for over 20 years. She is currently serving her 16th year as academy director, also having served as a team counselor for an additional five years. Valerie has attended 28 MO RYLA Academy sessions.
Valerie has been a Rotarian in the North Kansas City Rotary Club for 20 years. She has served as a club president, youth services chair, sergeant at arms, board member, secretary and various other roles. She is currently her fourth term as club president. In the 6040 District, she has been spent years as the Youth Services Chair, an Assistant Governor for three years, and a RLI inaugural class graduate. She also has worked an International Polio Vaccine Day in India as well as has directed a microloan program for widows for 13 years, partnering with the Uptown Calcutta India Club. Valerie has served as the Vice-Chair of the Rotary International Interact Committee and three years on the RI RYLA Committee, having attended 5 international RYLA events.
Valerie has presented RYLA in over 90 meetings including club presentations, district events, the multidistrict MO PETS Conference, and the only RYLA session of the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany in 2019. In the summer of 2023, Valerie co-sponsored an international RYLA Facilitator Training in Kansas City.
Professionally, Valerie is a photographer, specializing in marketing for nonprofit organizations, free of charge. Her photography project, Giving River Images, has worked with over 120 local and international groups. She has traveled extensively, shooting projects throughout the United States, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, the British Isles and Europe. Her images, collectively, have been seen by over 5 million people.
See her work at: https://www.givingriverimages.com/
