Leadership Montgomery County Participants Explore Inner Workings of City
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Building a great community requires great leaders‚ and for the last decade the Mt. Sterling-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce has offered just the program to ensure a steady crop of strong individuals to lead the county in the right direction.
In 1993‚ the staff and board of the Chamber‚ in conjunction with University of Kentucky extension office representatives‚ put their heads together to launch Leadership Montgomery County‚ a nonprofit organization designed to expose area residents to new ideas and concepts‚ leading to a greater awareness of‚ and involvement in‚ their immediate surroundings. In its 10-year history‚ the program has attracted a steadily increasing number of applicants‚ eager to become stronger leaders.
“I was raised in Mt. Sterling‚ and I learn something new every year through this program‚” says Mendi Goble‚ Chamber of Commerce executive director. “You learn about the infrastructure of the city - about what goes on behind the scenes.”
Those who enroll in the annual program spend monthly meetings hitting the streets of Mt. Sterling‚ visiting the county jail‚ the local airport and other points of interest.
“In my course of business‚ I may have never visited Hillcrest Hall [a rehabilitation home for boys]‚” says Becky Hill‚ office manager for Thompson Transportation and 1997 program graduate. “But because of this program I know what they do‚ and if someone needs their services‚ I can send them to the right place.”
Graduates also expand their boundaries by networking in new circles‚ which often leads to a stronger community. Hill‚ a Leadership Montgomery County board member for six years‚ also serves on the Mt. Sterling Water and Sewer Commission and is a board member for Mary Chiles Hospital.
Donna Amburgey‚ administrative assistant at Mt. Sterling National Bank and a Leadership Montgomery County grad‚ went on to attend Leadership Kentucky - a similar program that works to develop leaders on a state level - in 1996. Amburgey has also served as president of the Chamber of Commerce‚ the Rotary club and Leadership Montgomery County‚ and now serves on the board of Leadership Kentucky. She was recently selected as one of 24 women to attend a two-day Kentucky Republican Women’s roundtable in Washington‚ D.C.‚ where participants will meet with key figures in administration and the U.S. cabinet.
Though Leadership Montgomery County alumni benefit from the program in many ways‚ the community at large reaps the greatest rewards‚ Goble says. Classes organize a charity event each year‚ often raising thousands of dollars for local nonprofits. This year‚ the organization is raising funds for the Montgomery County Arts Council‚ which will go toward the renovation of their new headquarters at the historic First United Methodist Church.
Story by Heather Johnson
Photo by David Mudd
