Leadership

Mission Statement

Develop leaders who will have a positive impact on the growth & development of Jefferson County

Goals & Objectives

Identify a larger, more diverse group of potential leaders to motivate and develop their awareness of their community.
Provide leaders with a practical, clear and simple understanding of major challenges and opportunities facing Jefferson County.
Foster attitudes of increased commitment, cooperation unity and participation among communities for the long-term benefit of Jefferson County.
Formulate and implement an action plan to provide solutions to challenges and take advantage of opportunities to improve the quality of life in Jefferson County

Leadership Jefferson County is a program of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. It was formed in 1997 from the Chamber's Leadership Development Committee to design, implement and administer a program to meet the leadership needs of Jefferson County.

The Leadership Jefferson County Program is designed to create community awareness, encourage discussion of a wide range of issues, and develop leadership skills among participants. The Leadership Program consists of a one and one-half day retreat in the fall, eight top-oriented one-day sessions, and a graduation ceremony in June. Presentations include lectures, panel presentations, tours and a wide variety of group activities. Participants are given the opportunity to explore issues of interest to our county by meeting with county leaders who represent a broad range of community interests.
The opening retreat provides structured exercises and presentations that explore theories of leadership, problem solving skills, and community goal-setting through group discussion and analysis. The one-day seminars, held monthly from October through May, focus on major areas of community life in Jefferson County. Class participants are required to attend the opening retreat and each of the sessions in order to graduate from the program. The completion of various homework assisgnments, group projects, and individual projects relative to program topics are also requirements of graduation.

Leadership Jefferson County actively solicits applications from all sectors of the community. These leaders will be active in areas such as business, education, the arts, religion, government, community-based organizations, and ethnic and minority groups. The Leadership Jefferson County class will be chosen so that is refelcts the diversity of the county. A maximum of 15 people will have the opportunity to participate in Leadership Jefferson County each year. Participants are selected on their own merits through an application process with final approval from the Advisory Board.
Critieria for selection include:
Applicant must live or work in Jefferson County.
Applicant must show sincere commitment, motivation, and interest in serving the community.
Applicant must demonstrate a record of service in community activities.
A diligent effort is made to select participants who represent a cross-section of the community in terms of sex, race, age, occupation, location, and community groupings. The diversity of perspectives among participants generates some of the most meaningful personal interaction and learning in the leadership program.

Tuition for the Leadership Jefferson County Program is $500 per participant. Customarily, $400 of the tuition is paid by the participant's employer or sponsoring organization and the participant is required to pay the additonal $100 of the tuition.
The opening retreat will be a two day overnight retreat. Monthly meetings will generally be held on the first Wednesday of each month from October through May. The graduation ceremony and dinner will be held in June.