ASHLAND – Twenty-six existing and emerging community leaders are members of Leadership Ashland class of 2016-17, representing a cross-section of Ashland County businesses and organizations.
Through the Leadership Ashland program, they are working together to enhance leadership skills and learn about various aspects of Ashland County.
According to Ginny Telego, Executive Director of Leadership Ashland, the mission of the program is to increase the quantity and quality of leaders in Ashland County by enhancing leadership skills, discovering community assets, and creating opportunities for service. The program is fulfilling this mission through a comprehensive community focused leadership development curriculum in addition to on-site visits to county-wide businesses and hosting speakers from organizations at monthly class days.
The Leadership Ashland class of 2016-17 began meeting in September, with a retreat at WK Farms in Sullivan where the participants spent the morning doing strengths-based team building with Wager’s Way Equine Assisted Action Learning and in the afternoon they began exploring community strengths and challenges and discussing plans for class focus days.
The October class day was spent on an all-day bus tour, with transportation provided by All-Ways Transportation. The class visited nine locations during the day, including: Ashland County Historical Society, Barbasol, Ashland City Offices, Ohio Theatre, Ayers Dairy Farm, Anderson Schoolhouse and Honey Haven Farm. Lunch was provided by Farmers and Savings Bank at the Loudonville Public Library where the class also heard from representatives of the Loudonville Chamber of Commerce and Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau.
The November class day included leadership development in the morning followed by boardmanship in the afternoon. Leadership Ashland alumni are key community leaders who serve on non-profit boards so learning about being an effective board member is a primary objective of the program.
Monthly classes for the remainder of the program will each have a focus on one of the following: Business and Industry, Education, Agriculture and Environment, Culture and Recreation, Government and Safety Services and Health and Social Services. The final class day will take place at the Ashland County Community Foundation where the class will learn about the Foundation and the grant-making process.
Members of the class of 2016-17 class include: Angela Ringler, Advantage Marketing, Inc.; Jeremy Herrmann, American Augers; Cindy Kyser, Rape Crisis Domestic Violence Safe Haven; Melanie Miller, Ashland Care Center; Lanie Hartge, Ashland County Community Foundation; Mindy Howman, Ashland County Community Foundation; Mike Parry, Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center; Debbie Sullivan, Ashland University; Dan White, BCU Electric; Heather Arangelovich, Brethren Care Village; Molly Bartholomew, Brethren Care Village; Kelly Marshall, City of Ashland; Melissa Mckenzie, Crystal Care Center; Katelyn Edwards, Eco-Flo Products; Nancy Pauly, Eva’s Treats; MaryAnn Wilson, Farmers and Savings Bank; Jake Blasdel, First Presbyterian Church – ACCF Grant Recipient; Scott Fickes, Hedstrom; Heidi Bursley, Housekeeping by Heather; Doug Pauly, Pauly Accounting & Payroll; Chad Emmons, Simonson Construction Services; Dustin Kruty, Spreng- Smith Insurance Agency; Barb Krueske, UH Samaritan Medical Center; Scott Cox, UH Samaritan Medical Center; Melissa McCormic, Sponsored by United Way Women in Action; Jordon Lance, Whitcomb & Hess, Inc.
Leadership Ashland is the premiere community leadership development program of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is designed to identify existing and emerging leaders, acquaint participants with community needs and issues, and broaden participants’ understanding of the political, economic, business and social environments of Ashland County. The ultimate goal of the program is to prepare participants to take a more active leadership role within the community as well as in their sponsoring organizations. Over 450 people have graduated from Leadership Ashland and many have gone on to have a positive impact in their organizations and the community. Because they believe the Leadership Ashland program is a critical component in ensuring Ashland County has extraordinary leaders long into the future, the Ashland County Community Foundation became the Sustaining Sponsor of Leadership Ashland in 2015.
To learn more about the program, contact Ginny Telego at the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce office at 419-281- 4584 or visit www.ashlandoh.com.
