 The four-hour class every Friday included civic topics and
leadership components. Students learned about the Logan County
communities, their history, government structures, educational
opportunities, health care and housing resources, and community
organizations. Leadership training included these topics: leadership
for all situations, strategic planning, communications, effective
meetings and change management.Tom Akers, management consultant
and trainer with Heartland Community College's Corporate Education
Department, presented all leadership courses. Community leaders came
in to conduct the civics portion of the training.
The vision, knowledge and connections that students gain can
often open the door to greater opportunities at work, at home and in
the community.
Since the academy's inception it has propelled the best and
brightest stars in the local work force to an even higher level of
success and encouraged many of these fine individuals to take on
volunteer leadership roles in our communities around Logan County.
Take Terry Carlton, current county board chairman, for example.
Carlton is a Leadership Academy graduate from 2007.
"The academy has created a conduit for 'enlighten(ed) leaders' to
help meet the demands of local businesses and the community," said
April Jensen of Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, who graduated
with the inaugural class of 2006 and chairs the steering committee.
Skilled leaders are a valuable commodity. Communities are
learning that expanding their leadership talent pool is good
business. It's good for industry, it's good for government, and it's
good for social services and civic groups.
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The Leadership Academy is sponsored by Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital and Illinois American Water. Because of the generous
sponsors, the chamber of commerce has been able to give several
academy scholarships every year.
The Leadership Academy directly reflects the mission of the
chamber to advocate for business by providing leadership, programs
and services that create, protect and enhance the business
environment for the benefit of chamber members and Lincoln and Logan
County.
The graduation breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the
Lincoln College Meyer-Evans Student Center and is sponsored in full
by Lincoln College.
For more information about the Leadership Academy or the
graduation breakfast, contact the chamber of commerce at
217-735-2385 or go to www.lincolnillinois.com.
[Text from file received from the
Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce]
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