Graduates of the 2019-2020 Leadership Development Wabash County program. (Photo Provided)

WABASH COUNTY — Grow Wabash County would like to congratulate the 24 Wabash County leaders for their completion of the Leadership Development Wabash County program.

These 24 leaders were recognized at a graduation ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Honeywell Center. As part of the graduation proceeding, John Sampson, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, delivered the keynote address during which he talked about the importance of “tribal leaders” or those leaders that take charge within their networks and leadership roles to make profound impacts on their communities. Sampson encouraged the most recent cohort of LDWC to take what they learned during this program and use it to do good and foster collaboration toward common goals.

Graduates for the 2019-2020 LDWC cohort are Audrey Adams, Honeywell Foundation; Chelsea Boulrisse, Grow Wabash County; Angela Braden, Purdue Extension Wabash County; Melissa Ford, Community Foundation of Wabash County; Megan Frank, Ford Meter Box; Justin Gillespie, Ford Meter Box; Rebecca Haynes, Ford Meter Box; Stacy Herrold, Wabash City Schools; Jody Long, Midwest Eye Consultants; Teresa Miller-King, Bulldog Battery; Tiffany Moore, Living Well in Wabash County; Jared Osborne, Pizza King; Alison Pershing, Parkview Wabash Hospital; Cindy Peters, Parkview Wabash Hospital; Beth Phillipy, Wabash City Schools; Bev Ramey, Real Alloy Recycling; Zach Schaaf, Ford Meter Box; Ashlie Schlemmer, Bowen Center; Jana Thibos, Honeywell Foundation; Tarrence Trusty, Investment Center at Crossroads Bank; Nicole Weirick, Beacon Credit Union; Erika White, Midwest Eye Consultants; Tom Wilson, Hoosier Jiffy Pring; and Ray Wiser, Real Alloy.

Prior to the presentation of graduation certificates, the LDWC participants presented their group service projects. Over the course of the past several months, these service groups helped raise funds, perform labor and provide other services to organizations such as the Access Youth Center, Lagro Canal Foundation, Advantage Housing and BABE of Wabash County.

Special recognition was also paid to the LDWC facilitator, Jim Smith. Smith has served as the program facilitator for four years and recently announced that he would be retiring from this role. In order to honor Smith’s commitment to the LDWC program, Keith Gillenwater, president and CEO of Grow Wabash County, and Jason Callahan, chair of the LDWC program committee, announced that a scholarship has been established in Smith’s name.

The Jim Smith Leadership Scholarship will be awarded annually to one Wabash County leader to attend the LDWC program free of charge.

Grow Wabash County is thrilled to see a new cohort of leaders take what they have learned over the past several months and apply it to their respective jobs, committees and boards in an effort to make Wabash County an even greater place to be.

Special thanks to all the supporters and sponsors that made this 2019-2020 LDWC program possible.

Core sponsors include Beacon Credit Union, Community Foundation of Wabash County and Wabash County Commissioners.

Lunch sponsors include Duke Energy, MRF Real Estate, MPS Egg Farms, NIPSCO, Parkview Wabash Hospital, Real Alloy Recycling Inc., Timbercrest Retirement Community and White’s Residential and Family Services.

The next LDWC cohort, which traditionally begins in the fall, has been postponed to a 2021 start date. More details to follow regarding this next cohort and how to sign up.