LWC Alums Share the Power of Public Speaking

LWC members practiced short speeches that were evaluated by fellow class members.

Cold, snowy weather did not deter Leadership Whitley County participants from enjoying their January session focusing on practical public speaking.   Held at Parkview Whitley Hospital, the session involved LWC alumni working with class members on practical public speaking, easing fears and understanding personalities via an entertaining and enlightening animal personality exercise.     Carrie Hoffman of the Parkview Whitley Foundation and Brian More of Micropulse, two polar opposite personality styles, provided an entertaining and informative segment on animal personalities.   Seasoned public speaker Jim Landrum of  Star Financial Bank followed with a dynamic overview of tips and personal speaking experiences.    Shawn Ellis, Executive Director of BABE and Sherry Sausaman, founder of the Whitley County Domestic Violence Task Force, worked with class members on a self-confidence exercise that proved challenging and enlightening.   Jennifer Romano offered valuable tips on working the media.  Following a review of feedback suggestions, participants broke into small groups and practiced short speeches which were evaluated by fellow team members.    As an introduction to public speaking, the session began with a motivating presentation by Columbia City High School FFA members on parliamentary procedure.    The students then answered a diverse variety of questions from the class relating to their leadership experiences, agriculture, their future plans and perceptions of the Whitley County Community.    The combination of the alumni facilitators and the outstanding presentation by the Columbia City High School FFA provided a rewarding session for class members.

The support of local business, industry and organizations is key to the success of Leadership Whitley County.  Sponsors for the eleventh year of Leadership Whitley County include:  Micropulse, Inc., J & J Insurance, The Benton and Thelma Bloom Fund,  Old Settler’s Day Association, the Dekko Foundation and over 60 LWC alumni.  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.

The February session of Leadership Whitley County will be held at the South Whitley Library   and focus on the current and popular topic of Emotional Intelligence.  For more information on participating in the next class of Leadership Whitley County, supporting the program, or having an informational presentation made to your business or organization, contact Kelley Sheiss, Program Director at info@leadershipwc.org.

The Columbia City High School FFA Parliamentary Procedure team received high marks from LWC class members regarding their impressive demonstration