Leadership Owensboro applications for the class of 2021 are due Friday.
The Leadership Owensboro Program is run by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce and is focused on educating and engaging individuals to reach their potential and maximize their impact in the community.
Jessica Kirk, executive director of Leadership Owensboro, said the program is focused on education, engaging and empowering individuals to reach their potential and affect change in Greater Owensboro.
“Throughout the program, class members are exposed to a variety of topics and issues as well as well as learn critical leadership skills and applications,” she said. “They also learn how they can play an important role and gain insight and involvement in the Greater Owensboro region.”
Objectives of the Program:
- Improve the quality of life in the Greater Owensboro region by developing future leaders
- Identify key individuals with demonstrated leadership qualities and concern for Owensboro’s future
- Develop an educational program to familiarize participants with Greater Owensboro community’s opportunities, needs, challenges and resources
- Expose participants to a wide variety of current local leaders and notable persons through various types of networking opportunities
- Encourage independent thinking, fresh perspectives and approaches
- Empower participants with relevant community issue knowledge and future possibilities for their engagement in leadership roles
Each year, individuals are selected through a competitive application process to be a part of the Leadership Owensboro program. The Leadership Owensboro Curriculum Committee, comprised of regional community leaders, meets regularly to build agendas for the program with the goal of educating the class as much as possible on relevant and timely topics.
“The Leadership Owensboro program provides participants with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with opportunities, needs, challenges and resources in the Greater Owensboro community,” Kirk said.
Leadership Owensboro has an alumni base of more than 1,000 civic, business and education leaders.
“Class members are empowered with relevant community issue knowledge and future possibilities to enhance their engagement in leadership roles,” she said. “Throughout the program they are exposed to a wide variety of local leaders and notable persons throughout various types of networking opportunities.”
Program Sessions:
The program includes a session each month from September to May. Sessions are a full-day class, with topics including:
- Expanding leadership in Owensboro
- Human needs and services
- Education in our community
- Innovation, agriculture and our economic development strategy
- Issues in local government
- Healthcare in our community
- Justice system in our community
- Changing your community
The program kicks off with an overnight retreat and concludes with a graduation celebration. Each year, the class will discuss a project and will work together throughout the year to present an issue and a resolution to a community challenge. Together, the class will be responsible for implementing their project in addition to individual graduation requirements.
Click here to download an application.
