For the past five months, the newest crop of Johnson County leaders have been learning how to bring the best out of the community.
They’ve been immersed in the history and operations of the county. Classes have taught them about agriculture, business, social-service organizations and unique attractions. The group has also learned how to work together as a team, listen to different ideas and respect different sides of a conversation.
And in the coming months, they’ll apply that knowledge in wide-ranging projects aimed at benefiting people throughout the county.
This year’s class of 40 students is in the process of enacting those community projects, a core part of the Leadership Johnson County program. Groups are working on events to help organizations such as Johnson County Senior Services, ASSIST of Indiana and the Humane Society of Johnson County.
Projects include creating better signs at Johnson County Park to mark trails, creating a social media platform to connect people to volunteer opportunities and enacting a program to decrease school lunch debt in Clark-Pleasant schools.
"It’s not just lecture learning, it’s experiential learning," said Lisa Kress, Signature Program and special events manager for Leadership Johnson County. "The people who go through Leadership Johnson County want to better their leadership skills, but they also want to meet more people and learn how they can serve their community. It gives you a better idea of what’s going on around you and how it affects everything you do."
Since it was founded in 1995, Leadership Johnson County has trained more than 700 local residents to be better leaders and contributors to the Johnson County community.
The organization was founded in 1995 after area residents expressed concern about the direction local agencies, government and business would go in the future.
At the time, Duke Energy, known at the time as Cinergy/PSI, conducted a survey to gauge public opinion about the future of leadership in Johnson County. People wondered who would fill future volunteer vacancies and board leadership positions as the current generation of community leaders grew older. They were also worried that those leaders might not be qualified to lead and serve.
Taking those concerns to heart, Duke Energy and Franklin College agreed to form a leadership program for the county.
Leadership Johnson County has grown to include special workshops and seminars held throughout the year, focusing on management, women in leadership positions and the power of innovation.
But at the core of the organization is still the Signature Program. Those accepted to the program meet once a month, and each class asks students to focus on a different aspect of leadership. They learn how to lead meetings, identify the best people to help with a particular job and organize a team.
Organizers try to split the curriculum into two parts: leadership skill enhancement and community awareness. Specific days of the class are divided into categories: media, infrastructure and agriculture, for example.
"It’s not just leadership, but who is in your community, what is in your community and what do we need to do to make it better," Kress said. "As we’re learning about these topics, we’re also out learning about how those topics really affect you."
All of that learning leads to the Signature Program projects that each participant has to complete. Members break into small groups and have to plan and carry out a project that will impact the community.
More than 100 projects have been completed through the program. Many of those are still in place, such as the tree-dedication program that is now used by Franklin Parks and Recreation, and the annual Soup Bowl fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County.
This year’s class broke into six groups to tackle different issues.
Team Pay it Forward is planning a Senior Prom, and will create a video to highlight Johnson County Senior Services. Trailblazers is putting together a plan to improve signage at Johnson County Park, helping make the trails more clear and ensure patrons know where they are in the park, located on the far southside of the county.
The School Lunch Bunch has a plan to decrease school lunch debt at Clark-Pleasant Schools, while the Johnson County Volunteer Connection is starting a social media platform that will allow volunteers to look for agencies who have volunteer positions open.
ASSISTing our Community has teamed up with ASSIST Indiana to craft a child-friendly therapy room for the organization, which works with people who have been directly or indirectly impacted by violence.
A group calling itself PET Project is helping plan a pet-friendly 5K to raise money for both the Humane Society of Johnson County and Johnson County Trails.
"The goal is to not only help our community and learn more about it, but how to work together as a group. It’s the group process that we really focus on," Kress said. "You’re paired with people (who) you don’t really know. You share the same passion, but you really have to come up with something from scratch."
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Leadership Johnson County Signature Program
What: A nine-month community leadership program that focuses on objectives such as learning more about the community, putting leadership in practice, building networks and putting together community-minded projects.
When: Applications are now being accepted for the next class, which starts in September and lasts through May 12, 2021
Who can apply: Any resident of Johnson County may apply to participate. Non-residents may also apply, provided they have worked or have been active in the county at least two years immediately before the application time. Organizers look at diversity in all areas including age, gender, race, geographic location, occupation, etc.
Cost: $1,500 for the program. Applications received by Feb. 26 will receive a $50 discount on tuition. All applications are due electronically by March 4.
How to apply: Visit www.leadershipjohnsoncounty.org/application.
More information: Contact Lisa Kress at [email protected] or 317-738-8794.
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