STAR JOURNAL REPORT

Leadership Oneida County recognized sixteen new graduates of the program in a ceremony at Pinewood Country Club in Harshaw Thursday, May 19. These community and business leaders participated in monthly day-long activities September through May, and completed six community projects for local organizations.

“The goal of Leadership Oneida County is to develop a sense of commitment to being a leader in our community,” said steering committee member Erica Brewster. “Participants learn that leadership takes many forms, and that in Oneida County there are opportunities in many areas of interest – everybody says they learned at least one thing they didn’t know Oneida County had to offer.”

Leadership Oneida County began in 2009, and now boasts over 100 alumni of the program.

“Leadership Oneida County will help me do my job better,” said Lauren Sackett of the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce. “I am now connected to a great group of leaders, and I have seen so many things that I didn’t know existed in Oneida County. When people call with questions, I can give them clear answers or direct them to somebody who can answer them.”

Prior to the graduation ceremony, the 2015-2016 candidates presented their final reports on six community service projects they completed during the program. Projects included design for a memorial at Sarocka Field in Rhinelander commemorating the area’s connections to the Green Bay Packers and other local athletes, establishing a Friends of the Library group at the Rhinelander District Library, giving marketing guidance to the Three Lakes School District, reviewing and creating a sustainability proposal for the TGI Art program for Old School Arts and ArtStart, assisting Habitat for Humanity in coordinating volunteers and volunteer outreach, and creating the framework for a new “Leaderfest” event to promote leadership development for Northwoods United Way.

“The Leadership project was an opportunity for me to work on a team of people with equal but different strengths,” said United Way Executive Director Nancy Sattler, “It was good for me to realize that I don’t always need to be the one in charge.”

“For me,” stated Nicolet College Engineering Services Coordinator Jenny Bonardelli, “it was an opportunity to realize I could take the lead – I didn’t have to sit back and wait for somebody to delegate something to me. I realized that somebody sees a talent in me that I didn’t recognize before.”

Leadership Oneida County is a nine-month program that cultivates and prepares emerging leaders in Oneida County. Leadership Oneida County creates an awareness of services and organizations within the County, and reinforces an individual’s call to civic responsibility and citizen involvement. Applications for the program are accepted in August of each year. The program begins in late September and meets monthly, culminating with final community service project presentation and graduation ceremony in late May.

For more information about Leadership Oneida County, contact the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce at 715-365-7464.