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Development Center highlights Leadership Academy during annual meeting
In much the same way that a certain amusement park in Monticello has spent decades reminding us that “there is more than corn in Indiana,” the president of the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center board says there’s more than sometimes meets the eye when it comes to the organization about which he’s so passionate.
“Economic development is a lot more than showing up to meetings for tax abatement,” Michael Clampitt said recently.
Recent accomplishments include millions of dollars coming into the community from the first two rounds of the READI program by the Indiana Economic Development Corp., beginning a housing study for the community and a microloan program that has helped a number of small businesses in the county.
During the annual meeting of the Development Center recently, however, no program was more celebrated than the Putnam County Leadership Academy, which is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its return.
Clampitt, who has served as board president for the last three years with another coming in 2025, praised the “countless hours” Director Kristin Clary and Assistant Director Tami Van Rensselaer had devoted to READI and other programs, noting the success he sees from the center is not the norm across the state.
“We have folks from around the state who call us and ask us, ‘How are you doing this so well?’” Clampitt said.
During her own comments following lunch catered by the Inn at DePauw, Clary opened with the accomplishments in both READI 1 and READI 2. The first round of funding brought in nearly $3 million that brought utility improvements and Bennington Way road improvements to Cloverdale, double the sewer capacity at Heritage Lake, assistance with a Roachdale water project, a new roof for the Russellville Community Center, murals throughout the county and a lighting project in downtown Greencastle once INDOT work is completed.
The second round of READi is still awaiting an announcement, but Clary noted it could bring $2 million in funding for the Seminary Square project, a joint venture between DePauw University and the City of Greencastle made possible by the $32 million from the College and Community Collaboration of the Lilly Endowment.
Clary said the microloan program “continues to exceed expectations,” with another six loans in the past year to bring the total to 29 since the inception of the program.
“Many of these small businesses are located in downtown Greencastle, but also in Reelsville and at Heritage Lake as well,” Clary said.
And, of course, tax abatements are a part of the equation, with Clary noting that new abatements in the last year have allowed for expansions at Buzzi Unicem and Liberty Industries.
The toast of the event, however, was the Leadership Academy.
“Today we gather to celebrate a great milestone — five years of the restart of the Putnam County Leadership Academy,” Clary said. “I love talking with community leaders who remember going through the original academy in the ’80s and ’90s and talk about how valuable it was.”
While the old program eventually went by the wayside, when the Development Center gave up management of Main Street Greencastle five years ago, the time was right for a new project.
“We continued to hear from our corporate partners that they had some employees that were great workers but lacked leadership skills,” Clary said. “It was then that we decided we needed to resurrect the PCLA.”
Calling the first year “a learning curve,” Clary said the formula was calibrated correctly by year two with the addition of Karen Heavin as facilitator.
“Looking back over the last five years and seeing how many successful graduates we have had go through the program, we are glad we made the leap to restart the program,” Clary said.
She went on to thank those who have partnered in the endeavor, especially the Putnam County Community Foundation, “which has faithfully helped found our program over the last five years.” Heavin noted that 59 leaders have participated in PCLA since it restarted.
Among the emphases of the class are leadership, communication, personal development skills, industrial and economic structures, community needs and service.
“The curriculum of the class is designed to make a positive impact on a participant’s community, work and home life,” Heavin said.
She added that as much as directly developing leadership skills, the academy has a goal of community involvement.
“Yes, we have a leadership component to each of our sessions, but we also have a goal of community immersion,” Heavin said. “Therefore, we were out and about meeting with community leaders, learning about their organizations and needs.”
While the majority of the 12-week program are “normal” meeting sessions, the curriculum also includes special events. Each class does at least one community service project, completes two industry visits and has an etiquette dinner.
“But what seems to be an annual highlight of the academy is the county bus tour,” Heavin said. “We focus on a different quadrant of Putnam County each year.”
She noted the accommodations are not terribly sophisticated — an aged Area 30 bus known fondly as “Old Yeller” — but the three-hour tour with a couple of stops is still a hit.
“What makes this tour incredible are our two guests,” Heavin said. “I have been fortunate to obtain the best bus driver known to man in J.R. Scott and the queen of all possible tour guides, Jinsie Bingham. Between Jinsie and J.R., I cannot express what a fantastic experience the two of them provide our participants.”
The program also featured some graduates of the academy. As attendees were finishing their lunches, PCLA alone Heather Fish of Knitwell Group graced the room with a soulful rendition of the pop and jazz standard “At Last.”
Sara Bright of North Salem State Bank, a 2021 graduate, noted the connections she made through PCLA.
“I got to meet some wonderful people outside of the banking world,” Bright said. “Those small connections, no matter how small or how big, are what matters.”
She also noted the emphasis on community and civic involvement.
“You hear so much history, and as a person who is living in Putnam County, I want to add to it,” Bright said.
Local developer Jared Grable was in the first class back in 2019.
“I was asked to join the Leadership Academy because I was sitting on the board of the Development Center,” he said.
He said he knew a number of his classmates, but not all, which led to “better friends, tighter bonds.”
The class was encouraged to join a board or a non-profit agency, which led to Grable joining the local home builders board and eventually getting involved in the Isaiah 117 House project.
“A lot of that came from the motto that was driven into us from the Leadership Academy, which was to give back,” Grable said.
Similarly to Bright, Grable said he hopes to “make Greencastle and Putnam County a better place to live.”
Heavin noted that a partnership with the Greencastle Rotary Club has helped expand access to the academy, with the service organization sponsoring a scholarship to pay the tuition for a small business owner or employee to participate.
The program is also expanding, with plans to launch the Putnam County Youth Leadership Academy in the spring of 2025.
While more details will be available later regarding the youth academy, those interested in the 2025 adult program are free to reach out to Heavin at 67pcla@gmail.com or 720-5598. The program costs $650, and classes begin on March 5, 2025.
“Putnam County is a great place to live and work,” Heavin said. “But we must continue to develop leaders who are devoted to seeing Putnam County continue to prosper. These ladders and those who choose to follow in their footsteps are skilled and prepared to positively impact our community and to make it better for all.”