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.                              ###

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

 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.

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 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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