When leaders from a community get together to share ideas, big things can happen. That’s why many communities have invested in leadership programs to help foster and prioritize this exchange.
Over the past decade, one leadership program in particular has taken off. Leadership Estill County started in 2010, and its organizers and participants quickly realized the power that many counties could have in working together to combat similar issues of economic development, opioid crises, and more. They grew to serve four counties, and now are a six-county effort: Leadership LEAP.
LEAP is a year-long annual adult leadership program for individuals from Estill, Jackson, Lee, Powell, Owsley and Wolfe Counties who are passionate about helping their communities thrive. Participants meet once a month in a different community each time, and focus on a different topic. Topics cover economic development, healthcare, tourism, drug abuse prevention, education, government, leadership skills and team building. The program, which is made possible through sponsorships and facilitated by Estill Development Alliance, has more than 80 graduates so far.
“Each class is different, but one theme has remained consistent. We begin the year seeing each other as high school sports rivals and being ‘on the other side of the mountain’ from each other, but we finish the year as a unified force and knowing that we’re so much stronger together than we could ever be apart,” said Estill Development Alliance Director Joe Crawford.
For one of their gatherings, the 2019 LEAP class gathered in Ravenna at the site of the future Kentucky Rail Heritage Center to learn about the multi-faceted economic development project. The non-profit in charge of developing the center, the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation, hopes to draw tourists into Estill County while also improving local quality of life. To do this, Kentucky Steam has worked with the community to design certain aspects of the center. Plans for the center include a museum, a restaurant, brewery and event center, concert venue, walking trails and a railroad restoration instruction site for local schools. The 2019 LEAP class will also attend Brushy Fork Institute in Berea in September 2019.
“Our ultimate hope is that through Leadership LEAP, more folks will realize they can make a positive difference in their communities and our region as a whole,” Crawford said.
LEAP is one of many leadership programs in the state. Many counties have individual programs, such as Leadership Perry County and the Ashland Alliance. There are also many regionally focused programs. The East Kentucky Leadership Foundation and Berea College’s Brushy Fork Leadership Institute were founded in 1988 to promote leadership in Eastern Kentucky. Leadership East Kentucky, based out of Eastern Kentucky University’s Manchester campus, also serves a wider area.
Newer programs are also emerging. BRIGHT Kentucky is a new program of the larger Leadership Kentucky program, designed to build capacity for next-generation leaders in Appalachian Kentucky. They recently selected their inaugural class of 50 participants. The Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Leadership Institute program enrolls 40 participants from across the Appalachian region. They’ll start their inaugural class this fall.
“Recognizing and energizing current and potential community leaders is a cornerstone to community and economic development in Eastern Kentucky communities,” Crawford added.
LEAP stands for Learn, Empower, Attain, Progress. These are important words as we look to how we can build a strong Appalachia’s New Day that involves everyone.
About: This is story #29 in the Appalachia’s New Day campaign, a new storytelling effort launched in June 2019 by MACED for Eastern Kentucky communities. We can work with you to help identify, shape and amplify stories about businesses, programs and initiatives in your community that are helping build a new economy. Read more stories here. Contact us or sign up here if you would like more details.
