Logan County officials recognized for commitment to public leadership

Colter and Sahs in inaugural graduating class of Leadership Academy

[OCT. 24, 2006]  Two Logan County men were recognized in a graduation ceremony in Springfield on Oct. 13. County board member Bill Sahs, county coordinator Dewey Colter and 14 other Illinois county officials celebrated the completion of a yearlong commitment as the inaugural class of the Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy is a comprehensive leadership development program designed for county officials, elected and appointed. It is an initiative of the United Counties Council of Illinois, and this organization underwrites the cost of both development and presentation of this educational program. Officials from all Illinois counties are eligible to participate and may do so without incurring any enrollment costs.

This academy is a joint venture of United Counties Council of Illinois and the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois. Officiating at the graduation at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum were the vice president for academic affairs, Dr. David L. Chicoine, and the director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, Dr. Robert F Rich.

Over the last 12 months, academy members traveled to sites in central Illinois and engaged in a program of study whose rigor is comparable to courses at the university. The central focus of the UCCI/IGPA Leadership Academy is on critical thinking, problem-solving, communications, planning, self-assessment and change. Participants in the Leadership Academy stay together throughout the year and build strong bonds while increasing their personal and professional networks. The class that graduated on Oct. 13 was the inaugural group, and they have set the bar for participants in the 2007-2008 Leadership Academy.

The University of Illinois and the United Counties Council of Illinois congratulate the graduates and thank them for their sacrifice of personal time to participate in the academy. The sponsoring partners of the Leadership Academy are committed to providing professional and personal development opportunities for county officials and are pleased to welcome the graduates of this inaugural class as the first alumni of the Leadership Academy. Congratulations and best wishes for the future in your public leadership role.

[News release]