EATON – Are you a driven individual eager to become more familiar and engaged in all facets of the community which affect living in Preble County? Are you a member of an agency or board of directors and looking for an opportunity for individual growth and development of leadership skills? Are you an employer looking to expand the community networking and knowledge of your next up-and-coming leader?
Leadership Preble County provides all this and more.
Now a signature program of the Preble County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Preble County began in the fall of 2016, with an orientation and an overnight retreat, and continued through June with ten half-day or full-day sessions, culminating with a graduation in June.
The third round of Leadership Preble County is set to kick off on Oct. 25, and the deadline for submitting applications is nearing.
Applications and additional information can be found at http://www.preblecountyohio.com/leadershippreble-county.
Leadership sessions are conducted by leaders in their fields who cover topics related to the specific day’s theme. Sessions include Preble County history and heritage; agriculture; business, workforce and the economy; health and human services; local government; board training, a tour of the Ohio Statehouse; public safety and the justice system; infrastructure; educational system; quality of life in Preble County and health and wellness.
Graduates of Leadership Preble County include Economic Development Director Brenda Latanza, Commissioner Rodney Creech, Eaton City Manager Brad Collins, Lewisburg Municipal Manager Jeff Sewert, Timken Plant Manager Jeremy Linder, Opti-Vise IT Marketing and Communications Manager Kelly McQueen, YWCA Preble County Manager Courtney Griffith, Kettering Health Network Preble County Manager Sarah Schul, Preble Memory Gardens Cemetery Office Administrator Stefanie Price, Kettering ED Manager Jeremy Meredith, former PCDP Administrative Assistant Sarah Wyka, Preble Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Amy Raynes, Care Source Formulary Manager Shannon Steele, HIT Foundation Homeless Services Manager Toni Morgan, Commissioner Chris Day, TimkenSteel HR Manager Elizabeth Crumbaker, LCNB Regional VP Lori Pheanis, City of Eaton Fire & EMS Chief Brian Smith and Eagle Certification Group Director of Business Development Jessica Osborne.
According to Preble County Chamber Executive Director Leslie Collins, an important part of the program is specialized training by Lisa Nack, an expert with Pathway Guidance.
Nack has over 30 years of experience working with leaders and teams and considers it a privilege to be invited into a client’s world. Her work focuses on developing people, challenging teams to improve the processes required for working together and driving for better results. Her ability to blend experiential learning into training and development engagements creates an environment that is engaging, meaningful and “sticky.”
Her background includes experience in the retail, hospitality, non-profit, rehabilitation and industry consulting industry and she has worked with Fortune 100 companies, Family-owned businesses,
government agencies, and educational institutions. She holds masters’ degrees in counseling and in rehabilitation administration from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Nack is certified in numerous behavioral/personality assessments including Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, DiSC, Strengths Finder, Devine Inventory. She holds a coaching certification through the Coach Training Alliance and is certified in Emotional Intelligence & Diversity through UCLA’s Emotional Intelligence and Diversity Institute, as well as the Enneagram in Business.
“Leadership Preble County is proud to welcome Lisa back to Preble County for a third round of training for Preble County’s brightest current and future leaders,” Collins said. “Lisa will facilitate our opening retreat, a mid-year retreat and board training, and a wrap-up session during our graduation activity. What she provides is invaluable.”
Why leadership?
“For the employers and sponsors, we feel the program develops increased leadership skills which can be applied for greater workplace effectiveness,” Collins said. “It provides increased networking opportunities which can help businesses find solutions, and increase collaboration among public, private and non-profit sectors.”
According to Collins, the individuals who participate in Leadership Preble County improve their personal development and leadership skills, identify their own personal vision for community involvement, and become a part of an informed, diverse network for personal, business and community development.
“It also enhances their knowledge of Preble County, its resources and leaders,” Collins added.
“Leadership Preble County is helping develop a pool of community leaders with the skills and vision to creatively address community issues and prepares its graduates to serve on boards and task forces,” Collins said. “It is creating a network of individuals who will in turn use their awareness of the community’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to improve the quality of life in Preble County.”
Current investors/sponsors of Leadership Preble County include Kettering Health Network/Grandview, Preble County Development Partnership and Timken Steel. Additional investors are always being sought.
“One of the Chamber’s current goals is to launch Junior Leadership Preble County this fall, and with the help of our investors and in cooperation with the Ohio University Extension, we plan to provide the program at no cost to interested high school students.”
For information on sponsoring or participating, contact Collins at 937-456-4949 or via email, [email protected].
