In the spring of 2014, the Chamber of Commerce began to discuss ideas for supporting economic development initiatives in Fuquay-Varina. Those discussions led several volunteers within the Chamber family to the idea of offering a leadership development program that could familiarize residents with the workings of their town and region. An effort to produce more informed citizens and groom responsible individuals to assume positions of leadership across the community was the goal – not necessarily to train people to run for office, but to introduce them to all the facets of our community and encourage them to get involved in local non-profits, the community, or their own companies.
Pulling from several successful Leadership programs across the country, the inaugural program began in the Fall of 2014 with 11 participants. Most of the first cohort were people involved in creating the program or local residents that had requested such a program in the first place. The program consisted of half-day sessions once or twice a month that included leadership training, an introduction to local non-profits, board training, and a plethora of introductions to local and regional government. Participants were introduced to local leaders – both elected and municipal employees.
The first class of Leadership graduates became, almost without exception, visibly involved in town and community initiatives, and the program rolled into its second year with a good amount of steam. Years Two and Three attracted smaller classes of candidates and the program continued to develop and improve as it learned from each year’s experience. In Year Four, the planning committee increased the program to a full day and locked in the first Wednesday of each month from September to May for its participants. The program accepted 13 applicants in Year Four, almost doubling its size! The quality of candidates continued to be stellar and the year flew by with 9 full sessions and 2 socials.
In addition to the classes on leadership and government, the candidates from each year’s cohort were required to attend at least one meeting of the Town Council and to perform at least eight hours of community service for the benefit of the local community. During the first two years, each candidate donated eight hours of their time individually to a cause that was important to them. In Year Three, candidates organized class socials that included a group activity such as packing kits for Military Missions in Action or working at the Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry.
In Year Four, however, the program was finally able to successfully find and adopt a group project that all of the class members could participate in. Designed that way from the beginning, Year Four was the year to finally realize that goal. During the group’s session on Education, they discovered that Willow Springs Elementary was in desperate need of a playground renovation.
After some discussion, the group agreed to take the project on, with two class members taking the lead and the remaining participants picking pieces of the project to work on. The school and the PTA had raised some funds for the project but needed a group to organize it and provide labor. Between December and May, the playground project went from concept to design to construction. In addition to the organization and design work, the group spent a Saturday morning pulling out fencing and a deteriorating retaining wall in advance of grading work that needed to be done to the space.
The entire playground has been re-graded and a retaining wall has been built. The fencing has been replaced. Several local organizations have donated money or materials to build playspace pieces and as of late May, the playground is awaiting new equipment before the mulch can be spread and the first phase of the project can be completed. There are still playspace projects that need to be adopted.
Graduation for the 2017-2018 cohort of Leadership Fuquay-Varina candidates was held on May 18th at Garibaldi Trattoria with the conferral of certificates, polo shirts, and pins. The group developed great friendships and will be helping to develop a Leadership Fuquay-Varina alumni association that will groom past graduates for roles within the organization as the program grows and continues to develop new features.
Hailing from companies such as John Deere Turf Care, Bob Barker Company, Johnson Optometrics, Wake Christian Academy, Campbell University, Cisco, the Town of Fuquay-Varina, and several small businesses, this group of individuals represents a true cross-section of our community but is united in a common sense of purpose. Several of them are already helping with the planning for next year’s program, and a number of them are already serving on boards and committees at the town and county level as a result of their participation in Leadership Fuquay-Varina.
Having just completed its fourth full year, the Leadership Fuquay-Varina program is now gearing up for its 5th cohort of candidates. The 2018-19 program is being expanded slightly to add a bit more programming time, and will now consist of 10 full-day sessions—one each month from September to June. The curriculum has also being tweaked to include more leadership training, more time with regional experts in education and economic development, and more time for networking and group discussion. Participants in the 5th year of this dynamic program can expect to read material between sessions, donate some time to community service, and attend a few town or county government meetings.
The Chamber is looking for up to 12 candidates for the 2018-2019 program. The cost of the program is $600 and partial scholarships are available for small business owners or individuals not affiliated with a corporation. Applications are already available on the Chamber’s website at https://fuquay-varina.com/programs/leadership-fuquay-varina/.
For more information, call the Chamber office at (919) 552-4947.
