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Fifth Putnam County Leadership Academy cohort graduates
Wrapping up 11 weeks with communication, personal development, industry and community engagement at its forefront, the Putnam County Leadership Academy marked a milestone last week.
A short ceremony at the Ivy Tech campus concluded multiple sessions in which 12 professionals from four local businesses participated. It is also the fifth cohort to graduate from the program since it was revived in 2020.
Echoing how the previous cohorts developed, facilitator Karen Nelson Heavin emphasized each member learning about themselves and their peers. The curriculum, she said, is aimed to positively impact their home and work lives, as well as the community.
“Sessions allowed for personal experiences to be shared, and that encourages growth for all,” Heavin said. “Sharing experiences fosters a variety of viewpoints to be communicated, belief systems to be challenged and new thoughts to emerge.”
The program’s purpose, as Heavin has expressed, is two-fold. There is the leadership component, but there is also a goal of community immersion. Twenty-one different entities contributed as resources or venues this year as such.
The Purdue Extension office provided space where the cohort learned about it, the Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Putnam County Pantry Coalition and Putnam County Hospital. Meanwhile, DePauw University hosted a discussion about education with representatives from Ivy Tech, Area 30 and Dollars for Scholars.
The cohort also partnered with the Eagles Lodge to provide breakfast for dinner to Recovery Raw. Greencastle Mayor Lynda Dunbar and Commissioner Rick Woodall also gave their time to talk about local government at the Putnam County Museum, while South Putnam FFA students provided a lesson on parliamentary procedure.
With J.R. Scott driving the bus and the revered chronicler Jinsie Bingham serving as a “tour hostess,” the cohort ventured to the southern portion of the county, making stops at Lieber State Recreation Area and Cataract Falls. A surprise in that Bingham had never been there before, they also stopped at Putnam Park Road Course.
The cohort also visited the POET bioprocessing plant and C Bar C Expo Center in Cloverdale and learned about their operations and impact on the local economy. The program has previously connected with Crown Equipment Corp., Buzzi Unicem, Phoenix Closures, Walmart Distribution and Dixie Chopper.
“They say it takes a village to raise a child,” Heavin said. “It also takes a village to properly manage the Putnam County Leadership Academy.”
The Putnam County Leadership Academy’s cohort for 2024 includes:
• Angela Bergen, Martin Chavez, Gage Davison and Tricia Poole - KnitWell Group;
• John Davis, Russell Howard, Brandi Sherrill and Paul Wireman - Crown Equipment Corp.;
• Darcy Hommer, Clarisse Mucyo and Sierra Torr - POET;
• Angel Stidd - Amanda Procenti-State Farm Insurance.
Including the new cohort, Heavin noted that the program has trained 59 professionals since its re-inception. This, she said, has seen many of them earn promotions within their organizations, apart from volunteering in the community.
With the program under the purview of local growth, Greencastle-Putnam County Economic Development Director Kristin Clary expressed gratitude for employers seeing value in it. The program itself is sponsored by the Putnam County Community Foundation.
The original Putnam County Leadership Academy was started in the 1990s. While it was successful then, Clary provided, the program eventually went by the wayside.
Even with the challenges that were brought on by COVID-19 in 2020, Clary and employers were confident beforehand of a desire to develop their people. What was lacking were the skills needed to lead.
“We have been blessed,” Clary said about how the program has developed. “We couldn’t have done it without our employers. So we certainly thank you for recognizing that that was a deficit in our community, and stepping up and saying that you will support this effort.”
With her taking the reins from former facilitator Lynn Ringis in 2021, Clary also praised Heavin for her commitment to the program.
“She has been fabulous,” Clary said. “She has taught our students about leadership skills in the community and what it takes, and how to grow as a person, and how to learn about our community and the opportunities that we have.”
Getting choked up, Heavin ultimately issued the same challenge to this cohort as with the previous ones she has led.
“We must continue to foster and develop leaders who are devoted to seeing Putnam County continue to prosper,” she said. “You are skilled and you are prepared to lead. Do so. Go out and make your workplace, your home and our community better for all.”