Special to The Gazette
TIFTON — The Tifton-Tift County’s Chamber of Commerce is taking applications for this year’s Emerging Leadership Institute, a 12-week program that is open to anyone in the community.
The program will be taught one night a week for 12 weeks beginning in February. Former Leadership Tifton graduates will serve as instructors. The Institute is designed to reach a “new audience” for leadership development in Tift County and is funded in part by a grant the Chamber received from the Fanning Institute in Athens. Graduates of past Leadership Tifton classes have volunteered to serve as facilitators for the skills-based program.
“This program is excellent and will benefit this year’s class and their employers,” said Lynn Lovett, the Chamber’s vice-chair for community development. “It’s designed to help develop the leadership skills needed to make positive things happen in our community. We want the participants to gain a better understanding of themselves and their role as community leaders.”
The program will focus on effective communication, understanding leadership, valuing community diversity, group dynamics, conducting successful meetings, problem solving and decision making, managing conflict and building communities through partnerships and collaboration. Also, there will be sessions on local government and economic development.
Facilitators for the training include Chris Efaw, Luz Marti, Lynn Lovett, Shaundra Clark, Seth Dozier, Brian Tankersley, Dr. Ted McElroy, Mike Davis, Wasdon Graydon, Stacey Beckham, Kim Rutland, Christie Kunes, Alice Kelley Johnson, Diane Kilgore, Chris Beckham, Nancy Bryan, Rachel Montfort and Phyllis Doss.
Brad Day, the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, said the skills learned during the training will be useful in a number of areas and the chance to meet others in the community in similar positions is always a benefit.
“I can guarantee that the participants in this program will walk away feeling more comfortable in a leadership role and with a better understanding of our community and how it can succeed,” Day said. “This is a proven program. Our community functions because of those who strive to learn more about how it works and what it takes to progress. We are excited about this program and how it will benefit the community now and in the future.”
The cost of the program is $25 and the deadline for applications is Wednesday. Anyone who would like to apply can contact the Chamber of Commerce at 382-6200.
