Leadership Charlevoix County needs you!

Members of the inaugural Leadership Charlevoix County class are helping to support the Boyne Area Free Clinic through a community service project, and they need you.  One objective of the project is to “spruce up” the clinic.  A beautification event is being planned for April 28, 2012 at the clinic.  The class will be enlisting local high school students to help with the physical transformations, and community support for in kind donations for items such as paint, paint brushes, and art work.

The class is excited about all aspects of this service project. “Our Leadership Class believes we chose a very deserving agency for our community project. We look forward to working with the Clinic,” said Jennifer Kenney, Leadership Charlevoix County participant.

The purpose of this event is to provide an inviting environment for the clients the clinic serves by painting, updating the décor and grounds. “Our class is excited to get youth volunteers to work with us on improving the overall appearance of the Clinic. It will be a very rewarding project for everyone involved,” stated Sara Kessler, Leadership Charlevoix County participant.

The Leadership Charlevoix County class consists of 14 participants from our community. The purpose of this class is to cultivate new, emerging leaders from our area, to strengthen individual leadership abilities, and to create awareness of leadership opportunities in our communities. The program is a partnership of the Boyne, Charlevoix and East Jordan Area Chambers of Commerce, with support from the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce. It was made possible by a generous grant from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. 

Part of the participation requirement of Leadership Charlevoix County is for every class to identify a community need and develop a project around that need.  The Boyne Area Free Clinic provides free medical services to the uninsured in our area who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.  This class chose the Clinic because of its selfless gift to our community and is helping the clinic with strategic initiatives, grant writing, and this beautification project.

The class will be contacting the local schools to invite students to participate. They will also be looking for in kind donations for items such as paint, paint brushes, and art work.  If you are interested in this volunteering opportunity or have more questions feel free to contact Sue Hocquard, Leadership Charlevoix County participant, at (231) 675-6089.

First leadership class holds retreat on Beaver Island

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Leadership Charlevoix County (LCC) is off to a great start with a recent retreat to Beaver Island. The 14 participants of the inaugural class learned about the history of the island, as well as modern life and the many organizations that collaborate to provide important services to island residents. The leadership participants visited the Beaver Island Community Center, Mormon Print Shop, Beaver Island Community School and Community Health Center. The Little Traverse Conservancy conducted a tour of Little Sand Bay and the group visited the Beaver Island Fire Station to see a chunk of steel beam that came from the rubble of the World Trade Center brought down by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.

LCC used CMU Biological Station on Beaver Island as the setting for the overnight stay and team-building experience. Participants enjoyed a bonfire on the shores of Lake Michigan as they began to build their team and skills as leaders.

The participants will continue to meet on a monthly basis for another eight months to learn about and discuss topics including government, health and human services, economic development, education, arts and philanthropy, environmental and natural resources, and various leadership skills such as creativity, communications, business ethics and media relations.

An important aspect of the program is a mentorship where participants connect with current county leaders. Class participants will work together to create and carry out a community service project that addresses some needs in the county. There will be various homework assignments that include attending a governmental meeting and creating a personal leadership plan.

The Leadership class of 2012 includes: Thomas Cannon, City of East Jordan; Cathy Dewey, Beaver Island Boat Company; Darcie Dietrich-Buell, Boyne District Library; Jill Drury, Charlevoix County Transit; Christopher Faulknor, Boyne City Gazette; Betsy Granstra, Charlevoix Area Community Pool; Sue Hocquard, Charlevoix County Transit; Jennifer Kenney, Harbor Industries; Sara Kessler, Spanner, Solace Spa and Boyne Area Gymnastics and Dance; Sheri McWhirter, Petoskey News-Review; Erin Nickel, East Jordan Iron Works; Bethany Pearson, Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce; Laura Potter, Charlevoix Public Library; and Jennifer Sabsook, Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District.

For more information or questions regarding Leadership Charlevoix County, contact Mishelle Shooks at shooks@charlevoix.org or 231.547.2101. Questions can also be directed to the Boyne City, East Jordan, Charlevoix and Beaver Island Chambers of Commerce.

Photo caption: The inaugural Leadership Charlevoix County class of 2012 at Little Sand Bay on Beaver Island includes (from left) Erin Nickel, Jennifer Kenney, Bethany Pearson, Betsy Granstra, Laura Potter, Sheri McWhirter, Christopher Faulknor, Darcie Dietrich-Buell, Cathy Dewey, Sara Kessler, Thomas Cannon, Sue Hocquard, Jennifer Sabsook and Jill Drury.