Leadership Blair County Adult
Our Mission is to develop and enhance community leadership by challenging and preparing individuals from diverse backgrounds to assume more active and effective roles in addressing the needs of the community. About
Established in 1994, Leadership Blair County cultivates, develops, and nurtures the potential leaders within our community. The program identifies, educates, and motivates the area's promising leaders and prepares them for service to our community in a variety of important roles. Through a series of sessions, often using the community itself for its classroom, the program allows class participants to exchange ideas and information with established leaders and experts from many fields. Future leaders gain first-hand experience about critical issues as they develop the skills necessary to become an effective community leader. Sponsored by the Blair County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Blair County boasts 527 graduates. History... In 1991, The Chamber adopted a Long Range Plan, which contained a goal to develop a leadership program that would train policy makers for area organizations and non-profit groups. During the winter of 1992, Tim Sissler and John Schraff, who was the Executive Director of The Chamber at that time, recruited a diverse group of 12 volunteers from the community to begin putting together the Leadership Blair County Program. These committee members represented non-profit groups, businesses, health care, government, social service agencies, etc. For the next 18 months, they reviewed existing leadership programs in other communities and worked hard to capture the best aspects of each program they visited or read about and began to set the objectives. During 1994-95, the first class went through this new program. They too had an orientation, overnight retreat, 8 full day sessions and graduation in June. Each class develops a great working relationship with each other, and has the opportunity to meet and network with established leaders from all corners of Blair County as they learn about topics like regional appreciation and tourism, business and transportation, government, education, health care, human services and housing. In 1995 we were able to hire Chuck Kormanski, formerly of Penn State Altoona. Chuck facilitated our monthly sessions and worked with the adult committee to design the sessions. Chuck retired in 2007. The new facilitator for the Adult program is Maureen Dodson, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Baker, Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP. Be assured that the program is ever changing making us one of the best programs in Pennsylvania. As a testament to that we have been copied by several organizations throughout the state that want to begin a leadership program and have heard that we are the best. Apply
To apply for admission to the Leadership Blair County Adult Program, download and submit the application below. The Leadership Blair County Selection Committee makes final determinations regarding admission. The information provided with this application is considered during the applicant review process. The Selection Committee will conduct interviews with each candidate during the month of July to ensure that the applicant understands his or her commitment as well as the attendance policy. Notification of acceptance in the class will be done in mid-August. Class size is limited to 24 participants and applicants must have the full support of the business or organization they represent. Tuition is $1,700, which includes all instruction, course materials, meals, retreat accommodations and session related transportation. A limited number of scholarships are available. If you have any questions, please contact Judy Juda at the Blair County Chamber of Commerce at 943-8151 ext. 314. Click here to download the application form. |
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2019-2020 Class TAYLOR CANOLE Kooma & Associates, LLC JEFFREY HACKENBERG (Jeff) Penn State Extension EMILY HALL First Commonwealth Bank BRAD HATCH Altoona Area School District JO ELLE HEINBAUGH Blair Companies ROBERT HESS (Rob) Ward Transport and Logistics LORI HETRICK UPMC Home Health Care of Central PA JESSICA HUNTER (Jess) Vet Advisor/Three Wire Systems JAMIE JOHNSON Young, Oakes, Brown, & Co. P.C. LIESL KAPFHAMMER ARC Federal Credit Union SHASTA LANGENBACHER Leonard S. Fiore, Inc. JONATHAN RICE American Eagle Paper Mills LAURA RUNK Reliance Bank MARIAH TURIANO Okonak Dean Lechner, P.C. DEREK VAUGHN Joshua House Inc. PATRICK WILLS (Pat) Family Services, Inc. ABIGAIL WISOR (Abbey) NPC, Inc. GREGORY WOELFL James E. Van Zandt VAMC JOCELYN WOLF Evolve Insurance Group |
2019-2020 Class Schedule September 13, 2019 Orientation October 3 & 4, 2019 Retreat October 25, 2019 Session 1 Regional Appreciation - History & Heritage November 15, 2019 Session 2 Local Government December 6, 2019 Session 3 Human Services January 17, 2020 Session 4 Diversity February 14, 2020 Session 5 Economic Development March 12, 2020 Session 6 Youth Session/Combined with LBC Youth Group April 1, 2020 Regional Leadership Session April 24, 2020 Session 7 Justice May 15, 2020 Session 8 Strategic Planning June 5, 2020 Session 9 Celebrating Our Vision June 11, 2020 Graduation |
