Becoming a leader in any community starts with building strong connections there.

That is exactly what the Leadership Winchester program offered by the Winchester-Clark County Chamber of Commerce is all about.

It is a program designed to promote the community and develop leaders by facilitating an awareness of the many facets of life here. It also helps empower people to become more actively engaged and develop into active participants in the community.

“The Leadership Winchester program can also become an opportunity for a person to find a place in the community where they can contribute their time or talents,” organizers say. “During each class session, we will emphasize leadership and volunteer positions in our community.”

“Newcomers to Winchester who have graduated from this program have appreciated this special introduction to our community. It has given them a chance to see the many opportunities that are available to citizens of Winchester and has afforded them the occasion to meet people socially as well as to make business contacts.”

“Winchester`s longtime citizens who have graduated from this program are often amazed at just how uninformed they are. They discover what their friends actually do in our many industries and are able to put faces behind those billboards identifying the factory, hospital or school.”

Starting in September, participants are required to attend one monthly, day-long session from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. over an eight-month period. Areas of study during the sessions are quality of life, health and human services, education, economic development, local and state government, and agribusiness. Participants will visit city and county offices as well as industrial and commercial businesses in Winchester.

Applications are available at the Chamber’s website at http://winchesterkychamber.com/pages/LeadershipWinchester. After you’ve filled out the application, email it to: cindybanks@

  Call the chamber office at 859-744-6420 with any questions.

Participation is open to anyone living and/or working in Winchester and Clark County. Selection is determined without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Class members are selected by persons outside Clark County based on information provided on the application.

This is a tremendous way to network with fellow participants interested in seeing the community move forward but also to connect with parts of Clark County’s fabric in new ways.

 

Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. The board is comprised of publisher Michael Caldwell and managing editor Whitney Leggett. To inquire about a meeting with the board, contact Caldwell at 759-0095.