Chamber of Commerce Will Host Leadership Challenge This Spring

The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the charter class of the Blowing Rock Leadership Challenge. This program provides a comprehensive overview of the community and introduces participants to leaders in the fields of government, education, health care and business.
Charles Hardin, Executive Director of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, said, “Participants will gain a realistic understanding of how our community works. They learn from the movers and shakers – the people who have a vision for the future.”
“The program benefits the community as well, because the Blowing Rock Leadership Challenge identifies potential leaders and gives them the encouragement needed to spur them on to local action and involvement,” Hardin said.
Over an eight week period the participants in the program will explore topics that include: Business Development and Tourism, Civic Infrastructure and Government, Education and Workforce Development, Physical Infrastructure and Environmental Issues, Cultural Infrastructure and the Arts, and Community Health Care and Social Infrastructure.
Participants begin the program with a day-long retreat on March 16th. This is designed to set the stage for the series and build a sense of teamwork among the participants. Then, six half-day afternoon sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays over the next two months – March 21 and 28, April 4, 18, and 25, and May 2. An afternoon graduation session and evening dinner event is planned for of May 9th.
The program is being guided by a management team consisting of Charles Hardin, Executive Director of Chamber; Bill Hall, 1st Vice President of the Chamber; Gisele Weisman, Secretary of the Chamber Board; J. B. Lawrence, Chamber Board member; Alice Salthouse, Chamber Board member; Bill Barr, Handel Barr Learning; Judi Beck, Upstairs Gallery, and Brian Crutchfield, Blue Ridge Electric.
The Blowing Rock program has taken many of the successful components of the Ashe and Watauga Leadership Challenge programs. Brian Crutchfield, the Director of Economic Development at Blue Ridge Electric, who helped direct these two programs in their initial years, is assisting the Blowing Rock Chamber in creating this new program.
“We have designed the Blowing Rock program taking the best of what we have learned in other local leadership programs and created a schedule that is friendlier to participants with half-day sessions,” said Crutchfield.
The charter class is limited to 15 participants with preference given to Blowing Rock residents. Tuition is $100, which includes program materials, refreshments, and a graduation dinner and award certificate.
For more information or to receive an application for enrollment, contact the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 828-295-7851.
The deadline to apply is March 5th, 2007