Our Initiative
Leadership Mason County is a professional development opportunity that broadens perspectives and allows participants to gain an increased understanding of community dynamics and public issues affecting the place we all live, work, and play. It will be established for the purpose of identifying and developing leaders in the Mason County area, exposing them to issues and problems confronting our community, informing them about institutions in the community, and providing a forum for the participants to better know each other and network. Each class of Leadership Mason County encompasses a diverse group of professionals and volunteers who have attained leadership positions in their field or aspire to take on greater leadership responsibility; learning ways to make a positive contribution to the community, developing and practicing their leadership skills, and gaining a more comprehensive background on the contemporary issues concerning our region.
“We all have a desire to do something positive for Mason County and in developing this program, we hope to be able to lay a strong foundation of community leadership development that will serve our county for years to come.”
– Larry Jones
Leadership Program
Mission
Effective leaders improve the quality of life for their communities through positive influence. Successful leadership programming must be innovative, sustainable, action-oriented. Stakeholders in leadership development must operate with integrity, trust, and transparency. Leadership Mason County alumni will have a greater impact in our community when working together to share and implement ideas.
Vision
For Mason County to thrive on the active efforts of diverse servant leaders.
“It’s amazing what you can learn about a community; it’s history, it’s culture, and it’s people with a program like this. This will definitely be a great resource for aspiring leaders in Mason County who want to make a measurable difference in the place we all live, work, and play.”
– Jeff Noblin
What would the program consist of?
Nine (9) monthly meetings from September - May each year to include: an Orientation/Retreat, Seven (7) Class Sessions, and a Graduation Ceremony
Full day sessions usually start at 9:00 a.m. and conclude by 3:00 p.m.
Leadership education/training would occur more formally in the beginning, and throughout the program
Commitment of 100% attendance is required of each participant
Each Class would be required to plan, develop, and execute a specific community improvement project
Who Is Eligible to Participate?
- We’ve seen the number of participants in a class be anywhere from 8 – 24.
- Leadership Mason County desires to select a diversified group in terms of race, sex, and occupation. Individual participants would represent areas such as business, social services, government, cultural, and educational organizations. Class members must live and/or work in Mason County as of the time they submit their application.
How Is Someone Accepted into Leadership Mason County?
An individual may nominate themselves or may be nominated by a firm, an organization, or an individual. Following the nomination period, June – August, nominees must complete a detailed application to be submitted to the Chamber office by a specified date. The applications would be reviewed and approved by the Chamber Board of Directors. The Chamber may ask individuals to have an interview (if needed) to assist in the selection process. Interviews would be conducted by a panel of Chamber Board members, volunteers, and eventually Leadership Mason County Alumni who would select the incoming class.
What Is the Cost?
The cost for each participant is $550. This includes all nine sessions and meals.
Local businesses usually sponsor (pay for) their participants, although sometimes individuals will pay out-of-pocket for the experience
Although this does result in incremental revenue for most Chambers, the goal is creating greater community involvement and leadership development!
Schedule
Session # 1
Overview of Mason County
Session # 2
Agriculture
Session # 3
Social Services and Healthcare
Session # 4
Economic Development and Industries
Session # 5
County Government and Criminal Justice
Session # 6
State Government
Session # 7
River Industry
Session # 8
Education and Tourism
Session # 9
Class Graduation
Session Activity Examples
- AEP Mountaineer Plant
- APG Polytech
- Board of Education
- Bob’s Market & Greenhouse
- County Commission
- County Courthouse
- Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Economic Development Authority
- Extension Office
- Rivers Health
- Pleasant Valley Nursing & Rehab
- PTI Custom Injection Molding
- Public Health Department
- River Museum
- State Farm Museum
- WV House of Delegates/State Senate
Program Outcomes
- Know more about the place we call home
- Develop strong personal connections with a group of like-minded individuals who want to see Mason County improve
- Become an informal ambassador for Mason County
- Learn about the how the County gets business done; the institutions and individuals one would need to know for coordinating and implementing various improvement projects
- Execute a specific community improvement project with measurable results
About
Leadership Mason County will hold annual classes from September thru May each year. Each month’s class will focus on a specific area of interest, for example: the history of Mason County; agriculture; the river industry; tourism; economic development; county government and the judicial system; social services and healthcare; etc. In addition, one session will focus on state government and include a trip to the State House in Charleston to see legislative action at work. Also, each class will work on a specific improvement project that will benefit Mason County.
How To Join
Leadership Mason County is open to any interested individuals (business leaders, civic leaders, community volunteers, or aspiring leaders). Applications can be picked up from the Mason County Chamber of Commerce. For more information, please contact the Mason County Chamber of Commerce at (304) 675-1050.
Secondary Heading
Johnathan Doe
Founder/CEO
Johnathan Doe
Executive Director
Johnathan Doe
Marketing Director
Johnathan Doe
Additional Director
