Leaders Learn About Eagle Tech

Leadership Whitley County alumni and guests gathered at Big G's in Columbia City for the March edition of First Friday Networking. Eagle Tech Director Brady Mullett provided an update on the project-based learning facility slated to open at the start of the 2011-2012 school year. In addition to fielding questions from those in attendance, Mullett shared his enthusiasm for the cutting-edge educational initiative offered to students in the Whitley County Consolidated School System. FFN is a monthly gathering of Leadership Whitley County alumni, providing an opportunity for networking and information sharing.

Tags: Eagle Tech, FFN, First Friday Networking, Leadership Whitley County, LWC

LWC Spotlight: John Black – A servant leader across diverse job sectors

Once recognized as the United Way Volunteer of the Year, John Black now serves as the organization’s Executive Director, applying daily skills he learned as a participant in Leadership Whitley County.

When John Black sat through the Leadership Whitley County orientation two years ago, he remembered the class was told over the course of the program participants would experience many life events together. Little did Black realize some of these events would affect him personally and professionally, thus allowing his participation in the LWC program and the connection he made with fellow class members to have a deep, lasting impact.

Several years ago, as the Plant Manager for Dana Corporation in Churubusco, Black became aware of the community’s unique servant leadership program. He immediately saw the value of supporting employees through the program and serving as a corporate sponsor.

“From a business industry perspective, I saw employees who participated in LWC gain self-confidence and witness their personal growth,” said Black. He added while he had the opportunity to go through a variety of training programs through Dana, his participation in LWC offered engagement and the opportunity to sharpen his personal skills for the business setting.

A significant event occurred as Black and one of his employees, Bob Sollazzo, embarked on their LWC experience. It was announced the Dana plant in Churubusco would close. While Black said he was primed to get immersed in the LWC program, he also realized he would now have to seek new employment.

“LWC became a safety net for me. My most valuable piece from the program suddenly became personal enrichment,” said Black. His career path took a diverse detour, leading him to apply for and be hired as the Executive Director of the United Way of Whitley County. Black said he has seen Leadership Whitley County in action in his new position. Many LWC alumni serve as United Way volunteers and board members. “The United Way is other people doing stuff that they are passionate about; they are involved and self-motivated,” said Black, adding these are key characteristics of servant leaders.

Coming out of the program, Black said he was posed with the question “What are you going to do to help others in life?” On his desk in the United Way office in clear view is his LWC handbook. Black said the list of graduates is a huge asset and helps him to remain connected in the community. Other components of the program that have stayed fresh in Black’s mind include the assignment to contact a servant leader who made an impact on his life. This simple directive from the retreat re-connected Black with a former pastor and Cub Scout leader who helped Black achieve his “God and Country” award when Black was a teenager. “Harry and I were able to re-establish a meaningful relationship and a sincere emotional connection before his death late last year,” said Black. He added the program helped him develop his own set of life rules and guiding principles as well as core values. He was inspired by a speaker during the program to focus on relationships and the attitude of “it’s not what happens to you, but how you handle it that makes the difference.”

The final session on personal mission motivated Black to seek purpose and focus on leaving a meaningful legacy. Black realizes many LWC participants voluntarily apply for the program, while others may be mandated to go through it by their employers. Regardless of the way participants find their way to the class, he said there is always value in it and each individual comes away with their own positive experience. His final words as he encourages community members to participate in future LWC classes:

“LWC offers an abundance of top-drawer motivational and inspirational materials, speakers, and thought enhancing discussions. You can take advantage of the take-aways and personal development changes according to how much time you are able to immerse yourself into the program.”

Leadership Class works on resolving conflict and focusing on facilitation

“Conflict Management and Effective Facilitation,” was the main topic of discussion during the February session of Leadership Whitley County, held at the South Whitley Library.  The day’s session was sponsored by AgPlus and ProFed Credit Union.

 Prior to the main program, school board members representing the county’s three school corporations engaged with the class in a town-hall style format regarding the many challenges as well as opportunities facing each of their respective corporations.   One LWC class participant stated “I learned a great deal from the school board panel. It was helpful to gain a better insight into how processes are handled. The panel has given me a greater knowledge base to make more informed decisions and have a more informed opinion!” while another class member offered the following; “I was so amazed at what I learned. Very eye opening. I really want to go to a school board meeting and be more involved now.” Each Leadership Whitley County session incorporates an awareness segment featuring local information pertinent to our community or the class. Representatives on the panel were Jorell Tucker, LWC alumni and board member of Whitko School Corporation; Don Armstrong, Whitley County Consolidated School Board of Trustees; Mike Sturgis, Smith-Green Community School Corporation.

 Mike Stone of Impact Strategies and Lee Ray of Tuthill Corporation in Fort Wayne facilitated the main session focusing on conflict management and effective facilitation.  Class members participated in interactive discussion focusing on effective group behavior, facilitation roles and conflict management.    Participants used real-life examples to explore the role of conflict in our lives, and how it can ultimately provide a win-win situation provided there is compromise and consensus.   Ray, HR Director at Tuthill Corporation in Fort Wayne, overviewed the Trickster’s Triangle and Radical Responsibility, skills the class 10 members found to be quite useful.  One LWC participant stated “I found the practical application materials to be valuable! The trickster’s triangle can be a great tool to utilize with employees.” 

 The support of local business, industry and organizations is key to the success of Leadership Whitley County.  Sponsors for the tenth year of Leadership Whitley County include:  Micropulse, Inc., Century Link, NIPSCO, Old Settler’s Day Association, Ag Plus, Esther Smith Personal Finance, J & J Insurance, Steel Dynamics, Inc., Pro Fed Credit Union, Schrader Real Estate and Auction, Crossroads Bank, J & K Communications, www.talkofthetownwc.com and LWC Alumni:  Scott Darley, Betty Graves, Mark Green, June Keiser, September McConnell, John Slavich, Esther Smith, Jeff Walker, Melinda Woll, Jacie Worrick.  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 final session for Class 10 of Leadership Whitley County will be on March 17 at Five Star Distributing and focus on personal mission.  A celebration graduation is planned in April at the Eagles Nest Event Center.   Planning and recruiting for the next class of Leadership Whitley County is currently underway.  For more information on participating in the 2011/12 class, supporting the program, or having an informational presentation made to your business or organization regarding Leadership Whitley County, click on the email address on the “contact us” section of this website.

Tags: conflict management, facilitation, Leadership Whitley County, LWC, session, sponsors

Awareness of school board roles heightened at recent LWC session

Representatives of the three Whitley County school corporations recently met in a town-hall format with current LWC class members. The engaging dialogue focused primarily on budget issues and other challenges and opportunities facing the corporations. One LWC class participant stated "I learned a great deal from the school board panel. It was helpful to gain a better insight into how processes are handled. The panel has given me a greater knowledge base to make more informed decisions and have a more informed opinion!" while another class member offered the following; "I was so amazed at what I learned. Very eye opening. I really want to go to a school board meeting and be more involved now." Each Leadership Whiltey County session incorporates an awareness segment featuring local information pertinent to our community or the class. Pictured are, from left, Jorell Tucker, LWC alumni and board member of Whitko School Corporation; Don Armstrong, Whitley County Consolidated School Board of Trustees; Mike Sturgis, Smith-Green Community School Corporation.

Tags: awareness, Leadership Whitley County, LWC, school board, Whitley County

Soft skill topics empower LWC class to grow and serve

Teamwork and the ability to speak in front of others serve as valuable skills for personal and professional growth. In addition, these soft skills, combined with other topics, play an important role in the foundation of servant leadership. Currently celebrating its tenth year of servant leadership in the community, Leadership Whitley County strives to build better leaders for business and community, focusing on local awareness and soft skills at each monthly session. In December, LWC convened at Whitko High School with an informative awareness session featuring a panel of local non-profit organizations. Panel members included: Sherry Sausaman of the Domestic Violence Task Force, Mary Tobin of Habitat for Humanity and Cindy Barnett of Purdue Extension of Whitley County. Both Sausaman and Barnett are graduates of the LWC program.

The main topic for the day was a lively session on “Team Building,” facilitated by Ritch Hochstetler and Erin Kempf of uLEAD. The session offered a variety of teambuilding activities and discussion, including an overview of the Proxemics Relational Space Theory which involves inviting and initiating relationships through “social bubbles.” The class also learned more about the company PIXAR and how the operating principles of PIXAR’s peer culture can inform best practices in not-for-profit leadership.

Cold, snowy weather did not deter LWC participants from enjoying their January session focusing on practical public speaking. Held at Parkview Whitley Hospital and facilitated by Dr. William Utesch, this session involved Utesch working with class members on practical public speaking, easing fears and understanding personalities via an entertaining and enlightening animal personality exercise. Following a review of presentation techniques, 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 questions from the class relating to their leadership experiences, future plans and perceptions of the Whitley County Community. The presentation by the FFA group was definitely a favorite of many class members.

The support of local business, industry and organizations is key to the success of Leadership Whitley County. Sponsors for the tenth year of Leadership Whitley County include: Micropulse, Inc., Century Link, NIPSCO, Old Settler’s Day Association, Ag Plus, Esther Smith Personal Finance, J & J Insurance, Steel Dynamics, Inc., Pro Fed Credit Union, Schrader Real Estate and Auction, Crossroads Bank, J & K Communications, www.talkofthetownwc.com and LWC Alumni: Scott Darley, Betty Graves, Mark Green, June Keiser, September McConnell, John Slavich, Esther Smith, Jeff Walker, Melinda Woll, Jacie Worrick. 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 will focus on Conflict Management and Facilitation.

Teamwork activities abound at LWC’s December session

uLEAD trainers Ritch Hochstetler and Erin Kempf kept LWC class members on their toes at the December session of LWC.   The topic of this month’s session was Teambuilding and participants enjoyed the opportunity to gather in the media room of Whitko High School in South Whitley.  Featured below are a collage of snapshots from the teambuilding session, which was full of activity!

Inclusion and Diversity focus of LWC November Session

Mike Dear (left) of the Columbia City Water Department, Dani Tippmann (center) of the Whitley County Historical Museum and Greg Kaminski (right) participate in a perceptions exercise.

C & A Tool in Churubusco served as gracious hosts for the November session of Leadership Whitley County.  The session focused on Diversity and Inclusion, facilitated by Merrily Hamp of LaGrange.   A tour of the C & A Tool facilities by LWC alums Todd Rehrer and Sean Oldfather concluded the day.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the following LWC Alums for showcasing servant leadership at its finest: South Whitley and Whitko’s Patty Weybright for being honored with a YWCA Junior Hope Award in October for her work with the high school’s S.A.D.D. Chapter and Columbia City’s Sherry Sausaman was recognized with a Hope Award for her amazing efforts with the Domestic Violence Task Force. Well done, ladies!

Fellow LWC Class 9 graduates Patty Weybright (front) and Sherry Sausaman (back) were recently honored by the YWCA for their dedicated community service efforts

Leadership Whitley County Kicks Off 10th year with 18 new servant leaders

What started as a unique initiative to cultivate community leaders has grown into an amazing program producing servant leaders making impacts in all areas of Whitley County.      Participants in the tenth year of LWC had the opportunity to introduce each other through a learning partner activity and learn more about the Leadership Whitley County program at an evening orientation held at CC Deli. The month wrapped up with a day and a half retreat held at the Columbia City United Methodist Church.

 The retreat, facilitated by LWC Program Director Kelley Sheiss and Leadership Fort Wayne Program Director Ellen Cavacini, focused on servant leadership, understanding its meaning and the role LWC participants play in becoming servant leaders.  Activities and discussion for the retreat included discovering personal learning styles, developing talent boards for class members, identifying the assets and needs of Whitley County, the purpose of leadership, and visioning a preferred future for Whitley County.  Class participants were challenged to identify servant leaders in their own lives and share significant life experiences through a totem truths activity. The retreat concluded with a reflection on what was learned and a deeper appreciation for the members of the class.  During the retreat, class members chose a topic of interest to them and formed class product teams.  These teams will take steps to connect a vision with a goal that will ultimately increase awareness and/or make a contribution to the community.   One team has chosen to focus on the development of counseling services for parents, another team is investigating opportunities to convert an empty building into a reception hall, and the third team has chosen a goal of enhancing the LWC program through successful alumni relations.

 LWC is a unique, eight-month “personal journey” designed to educate and inform local citizens interested in assuming leadership roles about the functions, challenges, and opportunities of Whitley County.  The program also works with participants to identify key personal and professional goals, skills and missions.  Program goals include:  educating individuals on skills necessary for leadership in the 21st century, creating a diverse pool of servant leaders (class members will have the chance to serve as non-voting interns on a local not-for-profit board during their class time or attend local government meetings) and increasing citizen and business/industry involvement throughout the county. 

 The 2010-11 year of Leadership Whitley County will include programs on collaboration, diversity, conflict management and facilitation, public speaking, personal mission, and a county tour.  Each year, the program is designed to address current issues and topics facing the local community and its residents.  Monthly sessions rotate in locations in Churubusco, Columbia City and South Whitley.  Upon conclusion of the program, LWC participants become a part of a strong alumni group that continues to provide servant leadership activity to Whitley County.

 The support of local business, industry and organizations is key to the success of Leadership Whitley County.  Sponsors for the 2009-10 year include:  Micropulse, Inc., Century Link, Old Settler’s Day Association, Ag Plus, Esther Smith Personal Finance, J & J Insurance, Steel Dynamics, Inc., Pro Fed Credit Union, Schrader Real Estate and Auction, Crossroads Bank, J & K Communications, www.talkofthetownwc.com and LWC Alumni:  Scott Darley, Betty Graves, Mark Green, June Keiser, September McConnell, John Slavich, Esther Smith, Jeff Walker, Melinda Woll, Jacie Worrick.  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. 

 Participants and their local employers and organizations who are supporting staff participation in the program this year include: Debra Darr, Whitley County Council on Aging; Mike Dear, City of Columbia City; Jayme Dee, Parkview Health System; Marla Fahl, Pathfinder Resource Connection; Cami Herron, The Bowen Center; Jeff Hicks, Micropulse, Inc.; Tina Houser, independent real estate agent; Greg Kaminski, JuneStar, Inc.; Tom LaRue, Columbia City Fire Department; Debbie Lee, Star Financial Bank; Tiffany Murphy, Whitley County Sheriff’s Department; Sharon Miley, Cornerstone Vision Counseling; Tammy Nickolson, Passages, Inc.; Lee Prescott, PNC Bank; Shannon Rouse, Warner Electric; Dani Tippmann, Whitley County Historical Museum; Tonya Warner, Star Insurance and the Town of South Whitley; Melinda Wheeler, Columbia City Parks Department.

 Employers may find the value of skill building opportunities Leadership Whitley County has to offer individuals.   Local business and industry is strongly encouraged to consider supporting an employee’s participation in the program for the benefit of the individual and the workplace .   LWC provides the opportunity for employees to garner enhanced leadership skills, further develop people skills, and provide the potential for increased visibility and community outreach.

Stay warm with LWC wearables

Get ready for cool weather and show your LWC pride. Stylish, bi-color hoodies with the LWC logo are here thanks to Running Around Screen Printing! S – XL $35, XXL $40. Grey crewneck sweatshirts with logo also available. S – XL $25 and XXL – 3XL $30.   Contact LWC Program Director Kelley Sheiss to order!