Rip Rapson, president and CEO of the Kresge Foundation, will speak on "Leadership in Philanthropy: Supporting Local Community Heritage" on Nov. 16 at the Royal Park Hotel.

An expert in urban policy, Rapson is the inaugural speaker in what will become a series of educational forums on leadership presented by the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm.

Headquartered in Troy, the Kresge Foundation is a $3.1-billion private foundation established by S.S. Kresge in 1924. It currently ranks 17th largest by assets in the U.S. and 19th by total giving.

The museum’s proposed Broomfield Center for Leadership, currently in the fundraising stage, will honor the legacy of former Congressman William S. Broomfield, who represented Oakland County in Congress from 1957 to 1993. He served with eight presidents and was ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1975 until his retirement in 1992. Now 89, he lives in Maryland.

Museum Supervisor Pat McKay said the idea of training future community leaders came as he got to know Broomfield. He hopes the speaker series will inspire a sense of what leadership means.

“What we’ve been trying to do is not take leadership for granted in our community,” McKay said.

The event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP to (248) 656-4663.

For more Broomfield and the future leadership center, read When Congressman's Papers Come to Museum Calf Barn, Community Will Learn From his Leadership Story.