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 Building
on Success
The 2009 class of LEADERSHIP GEAUGA COUNTY will be the tenth group to complete the
program. This group of graduates will join the cadre of individuals in the community who have committed one year
to learning more about Geauga County, to developing their own leadership skills, and to expanding their community
involvement by networking and personal commitment. This means there are nearly 300 LEADERSHIP graduates in the
community, working individually and together to ensure that Geauga County is a great place to live and work.
After 14 years, the LEADERSHIP program has a strong and solid foundation. Each class extends the base of community
involvement. We have begun to replicate the most successful experiences and continue to explore new opportunities.
This means that we can expect the program to continue to grow and change with community needs but stay true to
the mission and vision of LEADERSHIP.
As program director I have had the unique opportunity of observing how differently each class approaches the leadership
program. The perspective of each group as they examine the same general issues often differs. However, there is
an emerging pattern of teams building on past successes and avoiding pitfalls experienced by previous classes.
In LEADERSHIP GEAUGA, the seven issue days are planned by teams from the current class. As each team begins to
plan their issue day, they ask, What has worked in the past? What has not been successful? After each class day,
teams that are still working on planning their days tend to evaluate how well the class needs were met by previous
teams. Teams from the class of 2005 will amplify and expand the successful ideas so each issue day will br exciting
and bring new experiences to the class. As the year progresses, class members increase their knowledge of each
other and learn to adapt their social styles in their interaction with each other.
The class of 2009 will prove that when you have good patterns available, you can develop exciting and insightful
plans that really work. They will also demonstrate how the awareness of the preferred social style of others can
lead to better understanding between people. This class will carry their experiences of assessing existing models,
building on them, and responding to current issues into the community. They will continue to recognize and accept
personal differences. We can expect to see much success attained as this class addresses community concerns.
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Class Activities
Health and Safety Day focuses on agencies
and concerns which impact the health and safety of Geauga County residents.
Government Day will present governmental
issues and must include some aspects of all three governmental branches (executive, legislative, judicial) on as
many levels (town/village, county, state) as possible.
Education Day will focus on educational
issues. This day should include some opportunity for class members to see at least one public school setting and
hopefully another educational setting. The day may encompass cradle to grave learning opportunities.
Human Services Day explores the delivery
of services to all needs, all age levels, and all economic backgrounds. This day is to include private and governmental
agency which address social service needs of individuals and families in Geauga County.
Business Day includes a discussion
on and examination of business and economic development issues in the county.
Arts/Culture & Recreation Day
features issues of quality of life and leisure time activities such as library, recreation, and the arts. This
includes the park system, theater, and artists.
Agriculture Day covers agricultural
issues, including environmental and funding challenges.
Youth Day developed by the members
of teh Leadership Youth program focuses on teh challenges faced by today's Geauga County youth.
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