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.                              ###

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.