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Leadership Putnam 2022 Receives Makeover
Leadership Putnam
Receives MAKEOVER for 2022
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Last year I went through the Leadership Putnam program and I met a lot of wonderful leaders from our community who are now friends and colleagues. One of my classmates, Melissa Swindell, Executive Director of the Georgia Writers Museum, and I immediately connected. She and I noticed that the staff of the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber was working round the clock to create a successful Leadership Putnam program and retreat. Since we both had been through Leadership programs before; I went through Leadership Henry in 2005 and was then on the Leadership Henry Board of Directors for 3 terms, and Melissa went through the Sandy Springs program, we offered to create a Leadership Putnam Board.
The Board would be a diverse group of individuals who had a desire to work together to create a fantastic Leadership Putnam experience. Our goal would be to not only take the planning, fundraising, coordinating and recruiting off the Chamber staff plate, it would then allow them to focus on the many other on-going projects they have in place.
The Chamber's goal is to bring a community together, and with our Chamber having a staff of only three, they are busy being responsible for the success of all endeavors associated with the Chamber. Having come from a strong Chamber, I know first-hand what it takes for not only the Chamber but the community to be successful; teamwork. A strong Chamber is the catalyst for a strong community. The Chamber President Maggie Milner, the Chamber staff, and the Chamber Board could see our vision and wholeheartedly agreed a Leadership Putnam Board would be a great asset to them.
As Co-Chairs of the Leadership Putnam Board, Melissa and I are adding a few changes to the program. To start, we are changing the way the program begins…instead of starting out with a class, we are going to kick off the program with a Fiesta! This allows the class, their family members, community stakeholders and Leadership Putnam alumni to have the opportunity to come together for fellowship in a casual environment. We are also extending the class from a few hours in the evening once a week to a full day once a month. We believe that there is a great deal for the class to experience in our county and to do so, we need a few more hours per class to accomplish this. We will also have a significant break during the day from 11:30 am-1:30 pm which will be the time dedicated for the class to enjoy lunch, fellowship and have time to discuss their class project. Speaking of the class project, the class will be required to complete their chosen project before graduation. We will be working with them during the retreat to help them elect a project Chair and form committees. The retreat is getting a facelift as well; moving to our home of Putnam County! Our goal is to be fully focused on our community which means utilizing the great accommodations we have right here. This also sends a strong message to our class that it is important to spend resources in our community whenever possible by supporting local business.
Our last major edit we will be incorporating into the program how it will be financed. In the past, the Chamber funded a great deal of the program. We believe so strongly in Leadership and understand that for our community to grow, we must have this program in place without draining Chamber resources. We have developed a sponsorship program that will allow more business involvement and promotion. If you are interested in finding out more about our sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to our Sponsorship Chair, Murray Air at wmurray.air@sbcglobal.net.
In order to make this magic happen, we have put together a wonderful Inaugural Board of Directors including Amy McElhenney, Murray Air, Grady Jones, Carrie Dietrich, Stephanie McMullen, Kim Ruff, Jarvis Glenn, Hank Griffith, and Reeshemah Ellison.
We are excited to be the Leadership Putnam Inaugural Board and are proud to work with the Chamber to create a program that will enhance and promote the community we all love!
LISA TUBBS CO-Chair Leadership Putnam BOARD of Directors
