Leadership Columbia County Seeks Class Participants

The 2008-09 Leadership Columbia County class has officially ended its nine-month program with a graduation ceremony on June 18. The Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the 2009-10 class. Click here for an application.

“A county, just like a business, can't operate without people willing to step forward and take leadership roles. The Leadership program helps develop leaders and identifies places where they may want to put their leadership skills to work,” noted Chamber Chairman Michael Sullivan.

Leadership Columbia County has been doing just that for 17 years. The program was originally started by a collective of county organizations and is now run by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.

Each year, all employers in Columbia County are notified about Leadership Columbia County . They can submit candidates for the year-long program, which provides leadership training and a behind-the-scenes look at the county. Businesses nominate middle management or other interested employees, who are interviewed to determine if they are the right fit. Program fees are paid by employers, with a few sponsors offering financial assistance.

Larger county businesses like Taconic Farms, Inc., First Niagara Bank, Kinderhook Bank and Columbia Memorial Hospital usually send applicants every year, but smaller businesses and sole proprietors participate as well.

The following is a recap of the 2008-09 Leadership program year. The program kicked off in September 2008 with a two-day retreat facilitated by noted leadership trainer and group facilitator Harriet Rifkin. After the two-day opening retreat, the 17 participants of the Leadership Columbia County planned to meet one full day a month from October through May. The program offers a close up look at key aspects of Columbia County as well as leadership skills training from experts.

In October the participants went on an agriculture and business tour of the county, narrated by David Rifenburgh of First Pioneer Farm Credit and Todd Erling of Hudson Valley Agri-Business Development Corp. Participants visited Gallagher's Stud Farm, Love Apple Farm, Ginsberg's Foods and Sonoco Crellin. The day concluded with a tour of Chatham village given by Kathy Stumph, owner of Chatham Kids on Main Street in Chatham .

Each month's session is in a different part of the county, showcasing different organizations and businesses. Art, history, tourism as well as health care, local government and education were all featured to provide a picture of the resources in the county. Most of these sessions not only took place in a setting that imparts information but also includes a hands-on exercise that is both fun and informative. In February the class heard from business professionals about leading your business and your community. Following the panel of speakers and a tour of the Firemen's Museum the class participated in a mock town planning board meeting.

The other major element of the program focuses on leadership skills. Expert trainers were brought in to talk about motivation, time and stress management, projecting a professional presence, and management theory. The November session featured Dr. Mark Hillman, an international trainer, author, lecturer, and psychotherapist who specializes in personal and executive coaching, corporate training and organizational development. He has been featured on Nancy Grace, Bloom & Politan Open Court, The O'Reilly Factor, Court TV to name a few.

The program also featured a leadership session that focused on Creating a Life Balance with Katy Drake of Unique Training Solutions. The class also participated in an Advanced Leadership Training session with Harriet Rifkin of Rifkin Associates in April that helped participants take away practical information on how they can continue their own personal leadership growth.

Then, in the final session the class put their leadership skills they have acquired to use and participated in a community project, working for a day at Morris Memorial in Chatham . The class painted and participated in other activities to help this non-profit with projects they are unable to get done with only one professional staff member. Morris Memorial hosts many youth and community events.

The program concluded with a graduation ceremony and dinner on June 18, 2009 where class participants and their employers were invited to celebrate the success of the program. The ceremony was held along side the Chamber Excellence in Business Awards and Showcase at Stageworks/Hudson. This gave the class a wonderful opportunity to network with top business professionals in the County.

Leadership Columbia County is supported by many local businesses throughout the year. Session sponsors included: The Bank of Greene County, Columbia -Greene Community College, Columbia Memorial Hospital, Kinderhook Bank, Taconic Farms, Inc., and Questar III Educational Center .

The program costs $850 and participants are nominated by their employer, who gains an employee with new leadership skills as well as savvy about the county in return for the tuition support and the time off from work.

The application deadline for the competitive process is August 7. Participants are notified August 10 with the opening retreat slated for September 16-17. Monthly sessions are the third Thursday of the month, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., concluding with a graduation ceremony and dinner in June.

For more information or an application, call the Chamber of Commerce at 828-4417 or visit www.columbiachamber-ny.com.

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, with its 850 members, is the leading voice of business in Columbia County , providing advocacy, promotional and benefit solutions for its members. Those seeking more information concerning the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and membership can contact the Chamber at (518) 828-4417 or visit the website at www.columbiachamber-ny.com.