Leadership Whitley County represented at regional conference
LWC Program Director Kelley Sheiss and recent Class 9 graduate Angela Green of Great Batch Medical enjoyed a day of engaging leadership development and networking at the Northern Indiana Community Leadership Conference held at Notre Dame University on August 24.
A combination of general programs, breakout sessions and networking opportunities offered a wealth of information on servant leadership, communications, civic engagement, diversity and innovation.
The morning kicked-off with an inspiring presentation by Lou Nanni, Vice President of University Relations for Notre Dame. Nanni emphasized three key areas to close the gaps in our global society:
(1) Focus on being faithful (to what gives you meaning and joy), not successful
(2) Displace yourself (go out of your comfort zone)
(3) Remember service is a privilege, not a responsibility.
“Service is a spirit,” said Nanni. “Being a servant leader is tough day in and day out. It doesn’t mean to be weak. It means holding yourself and others to higher standards. Leadership is best when it is given, not when it is sought after. Seek to be a servant, more than a leader.”
Nanni closed with the following thoughts: “Everybody is in search of meaning and joy in their lives. Success does not lie in what we achieve; it lies in the effort and example we give every day.”
Another motivational speaker full of enthusiasm was Phil Newbold, President/CEO of Memorial Hospital/Health System in South Bend. An individual who has developed several innovative creations in the healthcare field, Newbold outlined the keys to innovation:
(1) Take “Innovisits” (site visits to other places)
(2) Remember that big ideas attract big resources
(3) Become good at rapid prototypes
(4) Realize it’s not always about high-tech solutions
(5) Become a “test organization”
(6) Think carefully about spaces and environments
Newbold encouraged participants to immerse themselves in the issue and be ready to show results and demonstrate effectiveness.
LWC Alumni Spotlight: Carrie Ebersole, Micropulse, Inc.
LWC Alum and Micropulse employee Carrie Ebersole is pictured with a variety of quality medical devices produced by the Whitley County based company and long time supporter of LWC
When Carrie Ebersole graduated from the seventh class of Leadership Whitley County in 2008, she selected B.A.B.E. as her board internship assignment hoping to learn more about the program that serves the youngest members of our community. Ebersole’s internship quickly turned into the role of board member, and today she serves as the Vice-Chair of a program that successfully promotes healthy families. As the Lead Expeditor at Micropulse, Ebersole was anxious to apply for the LWC program after hearing the positive experiences from her fellow co-workers who had participated.
“The thing I took away most from the program was understanding people’s personalities,” said Ebersole. “LWC definitely helps with supervisory skills. It opened a shell.” Ebersole added the skills she acquired during the program have helped her be a productive B.A.B.E. board member and serve as an integral part of helping the program grow. “LWC made me look for an organization to be a part of and find what volunteer opportunities are a good fit.”
Ebersole added she had no specific expectations coming into the program, so it was a pleasant surprise when the learning experience offered her to make new acquaintances and broaden her connections with people in the community. She’s also been able to discuss program experiences with other coworkers who have participated in LWC.
A mother of three kids ages 7 -12, Carrie has been with Micropulse for 18 years since starting as an ICE student at Columbia City High School. It’s a family affair with the Whitley County based business as her husband Jeff is also employed with the company. Ebersole’s passion for service is evident as she talks about her experiences with B.A.B.E.
“It’s been exciting to be a part of something where the strength of everyone is involved,” she said. “There are motivated people wanting to make a difference in the community and children are our future. Leadership Whitley County makes you ask “What do I want to do?” and without the program I would never have been connected to B.A.B.E.”
Applications are now being accepted for the tenth class of Leadership Whitley County. Tuition to the monthly program that runs September –April is $600 and includes all expenses. For more information, go to www.leadershipwc.org or contact LWC Program Director Kelley Sheiss at 799-4045 or 3dsheiss@gmail.com. ###
Tags: alumni, Carrie Ebersole, LWC, Micropulse
Micropulse supports servant leadership
Since the inception of the Leadership Whitley County program in 2001, Micropulse has been instrumental in supporting the community-based servant leadership program through sponsorship and employee participation. As LWC prepares for the tenth year of its unique program, Micropulse is the first Whitley County-based business to sign on as a corporate sponsor, supporting the program at a level of $1500. The newly designed corporate level allows a company to support the program at a set level and enroll an employee from their company at no additional cost. Another Micropulse employee will be participating in the program this year, bringing the total number of participants from the company to eleven.
Micropulse CFO Brian More said Leadership Whitley County helps connect their employees with the community and also enhances their leadership soft skills in the workplace. Leadership Whitley County greatly appreciates the support of companies such as Micropulse who believe in LWC’s mission of building better leaders for business and community. Applications are currently being accepted through June 30 for the tenth class which begins in September.
Pictured are Micropulse employees who have graduated from the program: Front Row (l to r): Dan Stauffer, Brian More, Diana Smith, Larry Sutton, Carrie Ebersole Back Row (l to r): Brian Emerick, Micropulse CEO, Wes Stahl, Josh Monesmith, Steven Dittmer, Zach Beard
Tags: LWC, Micropulse, sponsor
What is Servant Leadership?
Leadership Whitley County, currently seeking applicants for its tenth year, is a program designed to develop servant leaders for our community. Often, the question is asked – What is Leadership Whitley County and what is servant leadership?
Imagine what it would be like if more local people were charged up and inspired to build an extraordinary community, possessed the desire and confidence to assume new leadership roles and were empowered to make sound decisions and achieve strategic goals they truly understood. Leadership Whitley County provides the tools to reach these goals through a program designed to educate and inform local residents and employers about the functions and challenges of social issues and other topics relating to the future direction of Whitley County, Indiana.
The program is built upon the belief that local residents are best suited to create a vision for their community and should be empowered to do so. From homemakers to company owners, Leadership Whitley County provides networking opportunities and skill building activities for a variety of individuals. These assets can then be carried back to homes and workplaces, resulting in a positive experience for all who are touched by the LWC program.
Servant leadership, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, Second Edition, is “a person employed to perform services for another” (servant) and “the position of guidance of others” (leadership). But, to those individuals who serve as alumni and current participants of Leadership Whitley County, servant leadership is much more. It composes an attitude of humility, provides an example of integrity, recognizes servant intentions, builds upon the importance of respect for others, and responds to guidance. People feel served when they have been valued, trusted, supported, respected, challenged, rewarded, inspired and appreciated.
Servant leadership is the design for people to give back to themselves, individuals and their community. It involves character, truth, integrity and standing behind your word. It is not demonstrated by what you say, but by what you do. Effective Leadership starts on the inside. Are you prepared to be a servant leader for your community?
Leadership Whitley County would like to extend their appreciation to the alumni and most recent class of the program who have dedicated their time and effort to making Whitley County a better place to live. A sincere thank-you goes out to the business and industry of our community who have supported this program and its goals.
As Frances Hesselbein of the Drucker Foundation said, “The future, whatever it brings, needs leaders at every level who focus on the spirit within and their commitment to the common good.”
Leadership Whitley County provides the opportunity for those living and working in Whitley County to make a positive contribution to their community and garner self-improvement, both personally and professionally. The future of the community is in your hands…are you ready?
For more information on LWC, contact Kelley Sheiss, LWC Program Director, at 213-4045 or via e-mail at 3dsheiss@gmail.com Visit Leadership Whitley County’s website at www.leadershipwc.org or on Facebook.
Tags: Leadership, LWC, servant
LWC Alumni Spotlight – Terry Eberly
As Leadership Whitley County prepares to embark on its tenth season, the program is celebrating the achievements of past graduates, both personally and professionally. The alums featured have been empowered by their LWC experience and continue to utilize their servant leadership skills in their daily lives.
Shortly after graduating from Class 7 of LWC in 2008, Terry Eberly made the decision to leave the “corporate” world and embark on the dream of starting his own business. Today, Eberly Photography is a thriving business adding to the economic development of downtown South Whitley. In addition to his entrepreneurial initiative, Eberly also chose to run for a seat on the Whitko School Board of Trustees.
“LWC gets people excited about making our community a better place. The other dynamic is what you take away from it years later. Having gone through LWC, it created a spark in me to get involved and pursue a school board position.”
Eberly noted certain skills garnered from his LWC experience, including personality types and personal mission, were very powerful and continue to be useful on a regular basis. He added the interaction with other areas of discipline and a diverse group of individuals as a peer group all learning together on how to be a serve agent for the community combined to offer a very positive experience. Upon graduation, Eberly said the monthly networking gatherings of alumni helped him connect to others, including Star Financial Bank’s David Smith. Eberly would later interact with Smith as he started his photography business in a downtown South Whitley location owned by the financial institution. Eberly also met 2009 graduate Jorell Tucker when he talked with the class about school board roles and responsibilities. Now, Eberly and Tucker will serve together on the school board, making them the first two graduates of the program to successfully run for school board positions. Eberly complimented LWC for its ability to create awareness of community interconnections and offer valuable networking tools for participants.
“The networking opportunity was a good return on investment for me,” he said. “My participation in LWC may have an impact in ways I never realize. It’s important to be a giver and give back to the community. Some can’t give as much, but everybody gives what they can.”
Since his graduation, Terry Eberly continues to make a difference in the Whitley County community, both as a servant leader for education and as a business owner in South Whitley. Eberly Photography is located on State Street and specializes in portraits, senior pictures, weddings, video and commercial photography.
LWC alum and South Whitley business owner Terry Eberly is surrounded by captivating senior portraits in his downtown studio.
“Leadership Whitley County helps you step back and investigate yourself. It’s great to see the vision as a community, and it also helps you as an individual,” said Eberly.
Leadership Whitley County seeks applicants for tenth session
The opportunity to participate in the tenth class of Leadership Whitley County is now! In 2001, Whitley County’s unique servant leadership program embarked with its inaugural class. Fast forward to 2010, where the program recently graduated its ninth class and now boasts 168 alumni actively practicing key servant leadership skills in their work, personal and community lives. If you’ve been wondering what the LWC program is all about or have had a desire to participate, this is a great time to apply and be a part of the ten year celebration. Leadership Whitley County is a unique, eight-month, highly informational program designed to increase community awareness, establish effective networking pools among participants, and enhance leadership skills, both personally and professionally. The program begins with an evening orientation and one and one-half day retreat in September. Monthly half-day sessions are scheduled through March, and the program concludes with a celebration event in April. Timely and valuable areas of study include: county awareness, collaboration, diversity, trust, compassion, public speaking, working with others, and personal mission. Trainers, both locally and from around the state, facilitate monthly sessions at various locations within Whitley County. In addition to increasing citizen participation for the good of their community, participants also garner tools and information that prove extremely valuable in the home, church and workplace.
Following are several comments from Class 9 LWC graduates:
“I feel very thankful and blessed to have been a participant in Leadership Whitley County. At the outset I was skeptical and wary, but I quickly learned how unfounded my fears had been. I think this is a great program and I would highly recommend it to anyone.”
“I think the projects are a great thing and a good avenue for making a difference and putting this program into practice. The domestic violence task force was born and is accomplishing a purpose.”
“These sessions were really satisfying, motivating and left me feeling like I could make differences in the community and at work. Thanks!”
“The program was well structured and professionally done. Great line-up of speakers!”
“I believe LWC has helped me have the courage to change and the courage to grow. I want to make a difference!”
Leadership Whitley County provides the ideal opportunity to make a positive difference at work, home and in the community. Employers who are seeking leadership or management training for their employees should take advantage of this quality program and consider supporting targeted individuals for participation. The combination of community awareness and vital soft skill topics offers an affordable and beneficial continuing education opportunity that provides a return on investment in the form of personal and professional growth. Participants will miss one half plus one full day of work for the September retreat, with remaining sessions occurring on the third Thursday of each month and concluding at 1:30 p.m. These monthly half-day sessions allow for employees to plan accordingly and return to work in the afternoon. Tuition to the program is $600, which includes all meals and materials. There is no travel or lodging expenses. Interested in learning more about Leadership Whitley County or desire to participate? Check out LWC’s website at www.leadershipwc.org or contact Kelley Sheiss at 213-4045 or via e-mail at 3dsheiss@gmail.com. All applicants must be submitted by the end of June and tuition is due in full by September 1. A limited number of participants will be accepted, so plan to apply today! ###
LWC Class “hops” into servant leadership
On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, nineteen outstanding individuals celebrated their achievements as the ninth class of Leadership Whitley County graduated from the county’s unique, eight month servant leadership program.
Participants and their local employers and organizations who supported staff participation in the program this year included: Zach Beard, Micropulse; John Black, United Way of Whitley County; Megan Burr, C & A Tool; Mike Cook, City of Columbia City; Kyle Egolf, The Center for Whitley County Youth; Robin Elsner, Passages; Carrie Garrison, Warner Electric; Angela Green, Great Batch Medical; Belinda Hawn, Habitat for Humanity of Whitley County; Carrie Hoffman, Huntington University EXCEL; Jim Landrum, Star Financial Bank; Michelle Linn, Americorps; Angela Maley, Whitley County Historical Museum; Betty Mishler, Whitley County Economic Development Corporation; Michael Peterson, City of Columbia City; Sherry Sausaman, Parkview Whitley Hospital; Diana Smith, Micropulse; Robert Sollazzo, MAHLE Clevite, Inc.; Patty Weybright, South Whitley Library/Whitko High School.
Scenes from the Taste of Whitley County 2010
The day was a grand success with four local eateries generously providing their time and tasty menu offerings to a hungry crowd of EXPO goers. Over $16oo was raised with half going back to the vendors and just over $800 to the LWC program. These funds will be used to cover expenses for the tenth class of Leadership Whitley County which starts in September. Congratulations to Jill Daniel who again won the People’s Choice Award. Only five votes separated Daniel Menu and Party Consulting from Heyerly’s Market in South Whitley for top honors. Thanks to those who attended and to the great vendors who participated!
Leadership Whitley County class members seek personal mission as class year comes to an end
The successful development of a local domestic violence task force was one of the community action project teams in this year's LWC class. Pictured are (left to right): John Black, Megan Burr, Sherry Sausaman, Michelle Linn and Angela Green
The 2009-10 Class of Leadership Whitley County convened at Northeastern REMC this month to conclude their seven month servant leadership experience with a meaningful session that would start them on a journey to discover their passions and personal missions. The final session of LWC for this year was sponsored by CenturyLink.
The morning began with presentations made by class members who served on three Community Action Teams. During the program’s retreat in September, individuals “voted with their feet” to determine what was needed and important to our community. Based on this process, three project teams were developed. The first team was composed of Sherry Sausaman, John Black, Angela Green, Michelle Linn and Megan Burr. This team provided an update on the development and progress of a local domestic violence task force. The task force meets monthly and has been instrumental in increasing the awareness and prevention of domestic violence in our community. The second team focused on promoting community events and has communicated with the Chamber of Commerce regarding placemats with current event information. Team members were Carrie Hoffman, Bob Sollazzo, Robin Elsner, Diana Smith, Angela Maley and Betty Graves. The third team announced they were working with the Columbia City Parks Department to investigate the possibility of an electronic sign that could provide local information and promote local events. Team members were Mike Petersen, Zach Beard, Belinda Hawn, Jim Landrum, Kyle Egolf, Patty Weybright, Mike Cook and Carrie Garrison.
The primary topic for the day was “Mapquest for Life. A Personal Mission Statement as Your Roadmap” presented by David Neidert. Neidert is a very well known and highly respected writer, presenter, faith leader, and mentor for leadership programs throughout the country. This is the ninth year David Neidert has served as a facilitator for LWC, and he continues to be a class favorite, making a meaningful impact on individuals and the program as a whole.
Participants spent the morning focusing on the elements for creating a personal mission statement, values, goal-setting and accountability. Group activities and individual work sessions provided lively and thought-provoking discussion.
The support of local business, industry and organizations is key to the success of Leadership Whitley County. Sponsors for the 2009-10 year include: CenturyLink, NIPSCO, Old Settler’s Day Association, J & J Insurance, Northeastern REMC Operation Round-Up, Star Financial Bank & Star Insurance, ABCM Enterprises Inc., Pro Fed Credit Union and LWC Alumni June Keiser, Ava Lillmars, Tam Parker, Tom Rethlake, Janet Scank, R.D. Schrader, John Slavich, Esther Smith, Jeff Walker, Melinda Woll. This support, financial and/or in-kind, serves as a key to success for offering quality programs that compose the core of Leadership Whitley County.
Dinner at Bob Evans, anyone?
