Leadership Tioga continues to inspire

Leadership Tioga continues to inspireParticipants of Leadership Tioga view and tour the Waverly Glen at their June session. Leadership Tioga, since 1998, educates, informs and empowers their participants, while promoting personal growth, leadership development, networking and skill building. Provided photo.

Since 1998, and heading into its 25th year, Leadership Tioga has graduated well over 300 individuals from its education program. Participants in the program live or work in Tioga County, and all come from a varied mix of employment backgrounds and careers.

Sponsored by the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce and partnered with Tioga County Economic Development and Planning, Leadership Tioga assists, educates, informs and empowers their participants, while promoting personal growth, leadership development, networking, and skill building. 

Leadership Tioga Facilitator Abbey Ortu, a Community Development Specialist with Economic Development, explained that the 2022 Leadership Tioga monthly-held sessions started in January and will commence in November.

Leadership Tioga continues to inspire

Leadership Tioga held their July session at State Line Auto in Waverly, N.Y.; a long-time family owned and operated business, and just one example of how participants in the program can learn and network within the county. Provided photo.

Now halfway through the year, Ortu said recent sessions have included a visit to the Waverly Glen and State Line Auto in Waverly, N.Y. An upcoming visit to the Village of Nichols is planned, while a trip to Tioga Hardwoods, located in Berkshire, N.Y., will conclude the sessions later this year.

Each month participants are able to engage with leaders from a variety of organizations, which, in turn, helps build a better understanding of how various sectors in the county work together.

Classes are 2.5 hours once per month, and are usually held in the morning.  Speakers discuss topics ranging from volunteerism, performance management, public safety, and human services, just to name a few. Participants can walk away developing connections, and with a better understanding of how much Tioga County has to offer.  

Leadership Tioga continues to inspire

Staff members from State Line Auto, located in Waverly, N.Y., provide tours and business information to participants of Leadership Tioga at their July session. Provided photo.

Sarah Darling, Sr. Real Estate underwriter and assistant vice president at Chemung Canal Trust, and who recently celebrated her 25th year in banking, is the Chair of the Leadership Tioga Advisory Board. Darling completed the Leadership Tioga program in 2013, and cited that it is a beneficial program that brings together a nice variety of businesses and organizations, and remains small enough for groups to interact easily.  

Darling remarked, “Leadership Tioga builds a web of resources and opportunities for connections, and it is guaranteed that you will learn something new.”

The reward of learning something new, Ortu shared, is common feedback she receives.

Regarding the recent visit to State Line Auto, Ortu said some participants shared, “I’ve lived here for years and didn’t know this place existed.” It was there that participants learned the positive impact the family-owned company has on the local economy and community. 

Darling also mentioned that certain topics, such as local government, are repeated every year, although speakers and content vary.

Leadership Tioga continues to inspire

Leadership Tioga held their June session at the Waverly Glen.  Leadership Tioga provides an educational program to individuals who live or work in Tioga County, and who come from a varied mix of employment backgrounds and careers. To learn more, email to leadershiptioga@tiogachamber.com. Provided photo.

Kristin Sherman, public relations coordinator with Tioga Opportunities, is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Tioga and a member of its planning committee today.  Sherman shared that the Leadership Tioga program is a wonderful developmental tool.

Sherman further commented that interacting with others while gaining a wider perspective, along with meeting and learning about leaders of Tioga County businesses and organizations, adds to the invaluable appeal of the program.  

“It was a really rewarding experience for me,” Sherman said, adding, “It’s a unique program to help individuals develop into further roles, and to continue networking and growing relationships.”

Ortu mentioned that a high school student from OFA participated in a past program, and that it is a goal to give the same opportunity to another Tioga County high school student in the future.

To learn more about the program, or to inquire about the 2023 application process, email to leadershiptioga@tiogachamber.com.

Be the first to comment on "Leadership Tioga continues to inspire"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*