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Leadership Steamboat seeking 2013-14 class

Ben Ingersoll

— There’s still time to apply for the 2013-14 Leadership Steamboat program.

Facilitated by the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and Colorado Mountain College’s Alpine Campus, Leadership Steamboat is a training program designed to produce community leaders who understand how “Steamboat works,” Chamber Executive Director Tom Kern said. The program aims to have about 20 members, and a second round of applications will be reviewed as late as Thursday by Kern and Randy Rudasics, manager of the Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center at the college.

Leadership Steamboat class members embark on a course that gives them a comprehensive understanding of their careers, Steamboat and how to be more involved in the community, Kern said. The program also serves as a networking opportunity, where members collaborate throughout the year and eventually execute a group project.



One of the few requirements, Kern said, is to simply come in with a passion for the community.

“The real emphasis in the program is to create community leaders who, once they leave, go out and engage the community in whatever their passion is,” Kern said.



Members whose applications have been reviewed and accepted will meet the first Friday of every month until June. The class begins Sept. 26 and 27 with a day-and-a-half retreat, and subsequent sessions will include field trips and forums. Ideally, Kern said, Leadership Steamboat always will have 18 to 20 members in attendance for the duration of the class.

Kern and Rudasics said the group project has been a key cog in how members begin to engage the community. Past projects include the Steamboat art benches, recycling containers along Lincoln Avenue and the public garden behind Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.

Although classes traditionally include about 20 members, the group’s impact on the community reaches much further.

“We have more than 500 people now who are graduates of Leadership Steamboat within the community, including many elected officials on City Council, county boards and school boards,” Kern said.

Tuition costs for the program are $700, of which at least $100 has to be paid for by the participant. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Applications can be found on the Steamboat Springs Chamber website at http://www.steamboat-chamber.com or can be picked up at the Chamber office, 125 Anglers Drive.

To reach Ben Ingersoll, call 970-871-4204, email bingersoll@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @BenMIngersoll


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