May 07, 2019 at 11:34 AM
By EMILY WENZEL
EVENTS & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
emily@iowacityarea.com
The Chamber is now accepting applications for the newest class in our Community Leadership Program. This is your chance to be part of one of the most esteemed and successful leadership programs in our community.
CLP was created in 1990 to foster informed, well-equipped, and invested leaders in the Iowa City area. Through the program’s life, more than 650 current and future leaders have gained insight into the issues, opportunities, strengths and challenges within our community.
I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today if it weren’t for the Community Leadership Program, in terms of the knowledge it has given me and the connections I’ve made that have helped me to get here, says Chamber President and CEO Kim Casko. It’s a program that is very close to my heart.
What’s involved
The Community Leadership Program features nine full-day sessions that take place once per month from September through June. Each session explores a specific theme, including Agriculture & Environment, Arts & Culture, Local Government, and Corridor Economics days. It also features sessions designed to help the class identify their leadership styles and bond together as a group.
CLP offers its participants unique access to our community leaders, awareness and understanding of critical issues, and in-depth experience with the systems that govern, serve and develop Johnson County. Last year alone, participants heard from local experts and leaders including:
- CEO_s of UIHC, Mercy Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Hospital
- Think Iowa City Executive Director Joshua Schamberger
- Lonny Pulkrabek, Johnson County Sheriff
- Jon Weih, Kirkwood Regional Center _ Johnson County director
- City Manager Geoff Fruin and City Administrators Ryan Heiar and Kelly Hayworth
Class members also gain a variety of perspectives from around the community. During the Human Services session, the class is introduced to a consumer panel to hear firsthand how programs such as Shelter House, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, and Goodwill of the Heartland benefit people in their daily lives.
I’ve lived here my whole life, and I really thought I knew a lot about our community, says Charlie Nusser of Hands Jewelers, a 2018 CLP graduate. But there’s so much I didn’t know about, that I learned through this program. CLP has been something that has enriched me personally, and will help me enrich this community as well.
The Community Leadership Program Class of 2019-2020 starts August 29. Applications are due June 10. If you are interested in applying, visit iowacityarea.com to learn more.
Notable past participants
- Jim Conard, Eastern Iowa Market President of West Bank
- Ret. Senator Bob Dvorsky
- Kingsley Botchway II, former Iowa City City Councillor
- Pat Heiden, Johnson County Supervisor
- Matt Hayek, former Iowa City Mayor
- Susan Craig, former Director of the Iowa City Public Library
- Kaila Rome, Executive Director of the
- North Liberty Community Pantry
