APPLICATIONS FOR 2012-13 WILL BECOME AVAILABLE ON MONDAY APRIL 16, 2012
Attention Leadership Lexington Alums: Help Us Stay Connected to You
The Leadership Lexington Alumni Association is ramping up! In order to make this association a success, we need all alums to send in any updated contact information. If you are a graduate of Leadership Lexington, please send your updated information via e-mail to Dawn Pope.
About the Program:
MISSION: Leadership Lexington is a leadership development program sponsored by Commerce Lexington Inc. and directed toward individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities. The program gives participants the opportunity to better understand our city and to prepare for the challenges it faces by meeting with and learning from today’s leaders. Leadership Lexington is an educational opportunity that broadens perspectives and allows participants to gain increased understanding of community dynamics and public issues.
ELIGIBILITY: Residents in the Lexington area are eligible to apply for Leadership Lexington. Applicants must be employed by firms that are active members of the Commerce Lexington, unless the employer is a charitable organization. Community volunteers may also apply. Applications are available mid April and must be received by the established deadline in mid-May.
STRUCTURE: Leadership Lexington is an eleven-month program involving an Orientation in August and a full-day meeting each month from September until June. A get acquainted reception is held before the overnight Orientation retreat. The Orientation retreat is mandatory. Classes meet in different locations around the area each month with a major program topic covered by knowledgeable speakers and panels, tours, demonstrations and class discussions. Topics addressed include government, media, growth and preservation, education, public safety, economic and workforce development, arts and quality of life, diversity, health and human services and leadership development. Leadership Lexington requires a strict time commitment. Class members must attend a minimum of 80 percent of all sessions to graduate from the program. At the end of the Leadership Lexington year, a graduation is held in recognition of the class.
COST: A $25.00 application fee is due when submitted. The tuition fee for Leadership Lexington is $1200, which covers all costs for orientation lodging, meals, materials, supplies and supplemental transportation throughout the year. The fee may be paid by the participant or their business firm or organization and must be received at least one week before orientation in August. If full payment is difficult to make in that time frame, a monthly payment option concluding at the end of December is available. A limited number of need-based partial scholarships are available, with special consideration given to representatives of non-profit organizations, small/independent businesspersons and community volunteers.
BENEFITS:
Leadership Lexington allows participants to:
-> Broaden their perspectives and understanding
-> Meet local and state leaders
-> Develop and expand network of contacts
-> Visit local sites and facilities
-> Gain exposure to current issues and developments
-> Build friendships and working relationships with class members
For more information about the Leadership Lexington program, contact Amy Carrington at (859) 226-1610.
LEADERSHIP LEXINGTON ALUMNI | LEADERSHIP LEXINGTON PROJECTS
2011-12 Class Presented By
BRONZE SPONSORS:
Frost Brown Todd LLC
Kentucky Utilities Co. - A PPL Company
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.
TravelHost of the Bluegrass
Leadership Lexington: Mid-Year & Economic Development Session Recap
Article by Margaret Ridley, Bluegrass Area Development District
The 2011-2012 Leadership Lexington’s Mid-Year and Economic Development Day was both educational and full of personal growth.
The day began and the class received a warm welcome from the Day Chairs Ryan Lisk, Lisk Associates, and Kim Sweazy, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. After a brief round of introduction, Mr. Lisk and Ms. Sweazy played a video showcasing an economic development “win” for Central Kentucky—the Toyota plant in Georgetown.
Upon the video’s completion, the class was introduced to our first presenters of the day, Vince Mattox and Barbara Connor. Mr. Mattox and Ms. Connor, with Fayette County Public Schools, led an interactive discussion about diversity. They began their exercises with a Race Literacy Quiz that was designed to explore the myths and misconceptions we all have about race.
After discussing the test results, the class had a candid discussion expressing thoughts and ideas on stereotypes regarding ethnicity, gender, age, and socio-economic differences and how they originate. The class dissected the messages received from parents, teachers, religious leaders, and friends dealing with the aforementioned issues and how the messages shaped individual reactions and or interactions with people.
The conversation then transitioned to an important point - when our brains don’t have all the information, we will make assumptions. The ensuing open and honest dialogue was one of the highlights of the day. The class learned that although stereotypes exist within each of us, getting to know people on a personal level allows us to debunk out preconceived notions as relationships are on of the best ways to break through diversity barriers.
After the diversity discussion, the class walked from Commerce Lexington next door to Awesome, Inc. Awesome Inc. is a business incubator, where new businesses can rent desk space or a conference room to save on some of their start-up costs—plus be surrounded by “Awesomeness.” Brian Raney, Founder of Awesome Inc, spoke to the class about the organization’s philosophy and gave us a tour of the facility. Much of what was discussed was based on two of their many “Awesome Rules for Creating Awesomeness”:
Rule #4—Always do something awesome over something not awesome.
Rule #39—Surround yourself with awesomeness.
Awesome Inc’s office has a “Google” style atmosphere. There is a rec room with comfortable sofas, a lounge area, and ping pong table. The entire environment is centered on thinking positively and tapping into your creativity. The major take away being: do something you are passionate about and be the best you can be at it—all while having fun.
For the final part of the day, the class returned to Commerce Lexington for an economic development simulation. The entire Leadership Lexington group was divided into six teams. Three of the teams represented fictional communities. The other three groups were fictional companies that were interested in relocating to one of the communities.
The game had two rounds. In the first round, the companies visited the community and the groups learned a little bit about each other. Fictional mayors welcomed the companies and promoted the infrastructure, educational resources, and quality of life. The businesses explained their workforce, training, infrastructure needs to the communities.
After meeting all of the companies, the fictional city and community members prioritized and ranked the different companies. We make made a list of all the community resources that matched the companys’ needs. The groups were creative in developing innovative plans featuring tax incentives packages, workforce training packages, and offered grants to encourage the companies to locate within a community. These packages were then presented to the businesses in the second round. Then, they were to choose which community would be the best place to locate their company. The exercise was valuable as it forced the class to put themselves in the shoes of community leaders and business heads.
On a personal note, every Leadership Lexington day I am amazing by how much I learn and grow as a person. The 2011-2012 class is only half way through the year, and I can’t wait to see what else the class learns and how we personally grow from our experiences.
About the Leadership Lexington Program