Posts Tagged ‘LWC’
The Servant as Teacher: LWC Alumni Spotlight on Michelle Ball
LWC alum and 4th grade teacher Michelle Ball proudly stands by a chart maintained by her students as part of the "Paper Clips Can Make a Difference" program.
Just over 18 years ago, Michelle Ball decided a career change was in order. A business major in college, she pursued a second career in education, receiving her teaching degree. Currently a 4th grade teacher at Pierceton Elementary School in Pierceton, the Leadership Whitley County alum couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Several years ago, Michelle was encouraged by friend and LWC alum Mick Long to apply for the seventh class of Leadership Whitley County.
“Mick really recommended the program and I thought highly of him,” said Michelle, speaking from her colorful classroom full of learning opportunities. The challenge for her was to balance a day out of the classroom each month in order to attend the regular LWC sessions. The Whitko School Corporation agreed to provide support in the form of a substitute for her classroom so Michelle could participate in the program.
Michelle became an integral part of LWC’s seventh year, consistently providing valuable input and serving as an active part of the class structure. She and her husband Pat even took full advantage of the pirate theme at the class celebration and dressed as sea-faring folks. The real value of Michelle’s participation in Leadership Whitley County came after her graduation, when she was able to apply her learned servant leadership skills in the classroom with her students and at faculty trainings with fellow staff members.
Shortly after the LWC graduation, Michelle was given the opportunity to present a topic at her school staff retreat. Michelle remembers at the time they had a new principal and she wasn’t sure how the focus of personal mission would be received. She dedicated herself to the task, assembling notebooks for each staff member, challenging them to “find their treasure at Pierceton Elementary School.” The feedback from her presentation was very positive, and she has utilized concepts learned from her time in the LWC program at subsequent staff meetings.
In addition to sharing her servant leader skills with staff, Michelle stresses these experiences with her students as well.
“I so try to instill in students “it’s not about you” kind of thinking,” she said. “It’s important to me to show them that.”
Michelle noted her biggest take-away from the LWC program was the whole servant leadership concept, especially the personal mission session.
“I really believe I have done things now that are because of that…reaching goals, being more focused, being purposeful,” she said. Michelle added the program influenced her decision to pursue a Lilly grant in the spring of 2010, which she received. The $9,000 grant allowed her to spend the summer traveling overseas for seven weeks following the life of Anne Frank. A very powerful experience for the elementary teacher, she now makes presentations to groups about her trip. She also incorporates her journey in to classroom curriculum.
“The main way is through a 6-week after school enrichment program for 4th and 5th graders,” said Michelle. She also pointed out a successful classroom project entitled “Paper Clips Can Make a Difference.” Inspired by a display at Huntington North High School, Michelle challenges her students to collect paper clips in honor of the victims of Auschwitz. They partnered with students at Huntington North and have even garnered paper clips from celebrities. As of last spring, 15,688 paper clips had been collected. Students are tasked with all aspects of the project, including contacts for donations and accurate record keeping.
The 2008 Leadership Whitley County alum isn’t slowing down in reaching her goals. Michelle recently applied for her license to teach high ability students, noting her pursuit of this goal go back to her personal mission.
“Leadership Whitley County is definitely a program that can rejuvenate and light a spark within you. I was inspired by what other people in our group did such as Terry Eberly and Judy (Bell) Mundy. I was motivated.”
The 11th class of Leadership Whitley County kicks off on September 13, 2011. For more information on Leadership Whitley County, visit their website at www.leadershipwc.org, become a fan on Facebook, or contact Kelley Sheiss, Program Director, at 799-4045 or info@leadershipwc.org.
Tags: alumni, LWC, Michelle Ball
LWC’s First Friday Networking hosts mayoral candidates
April kicked off with Leadership Whitley County’s First Friday Networking event at the Whitley County Historical Museum in Columbia City. Republican candidates for mayor participated in an informative yet casual dialogue with those in attendance.
Columbia City Operations Manager and LWC alum Jeff Walker poses a question to the candidates while museum director and current class member Dani Tippmann listens intently.
Candidate Gary Parrett
Candidate Ryan Daniel
Candidate Don Sexton
Tags: Columbia City, Leadership Whitley County, LWC, mayor
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
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
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 class marks program midpoint with teamwork session
Leadership Whitley County class members John Black of the United Way, Carrie Hoffman of Huntington University and Mike Cook of Columbia City's water pollution control facility try to figure out the best use of teamwork while blindfolded at the December session of LWC.
The December session of Leadership Whitley County convened at Whitko Café in South Whitley with WHS Student Council members welcoming class participants to their school. The morning kicked off with an informative awareness session featuring a panel of local non-profit organizations. Panel members included: Shawn Ellis of Beds and Britches, Etc., Tania Keirn of Interfaith Mission, Mark Green of the Columbia City Parks Department, John Slavich of Count Me In! and Jacie Worrick, board member for the United Way of Whitley County. Each panel member had the opportunity to provide an overview of their organization, detail its benefits to the community, and highlight areas for possible volunteer involvement. LWC class members then had the opportunity to ask questions of the panel members.
The main topic for the day was “Team Building,” presented by Dr. Rick Upchurch of Huntington University. The session began with a lively and enlightening activity on teambuilding in the school’s gymnasium. Principal Parrish Kruger joined the group on this activity, which used blindfolds and focused on communication as a critical tool of teamwork. Upchurch then worked with the group to overview the principles of effective teams and touched briefly on handling conflict as a part of effective teamwork. More emphasis on conflict management and facilitation will be addressed during the group’s February session.
As the LWC program heads into the 2010, class members will experience programs focusing on public speaking, conflict management and personal mission. A celebration graduation will be held, recognizing all class members on Thursday, April 15 at the Eagles Nest Event Center. For more information on applying for the 2010/11Leadership Whitley County class, supporting the program, or having an informational presentation made to your business or organization, contact Kelley Sheiss at 799-4045 or 3dsheiss@gmail.com
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.
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