1994

Participants work on leadersh;p Twenty-one Newton County resi– dents have begun a Leadership De– velopment course tluough the Lead– ershipNewton County program.

One of the participants in th1s year's program is Odessia Walker of Newton, who serves in the demand– ing position of secretary at Newton Elementary School. "Good, well– trained leaders are a must to secure the future development of Newton County," she said. "When I consid– ered the increased demands m tech– nology, industry, education, and our society, I realized thlt leadership training will not only help me make decisions to grow personally, but help me make decisions for my county to grow." frs. Walker added. "Man r people in Newton County have gi– ven generously to me, and I am making the personal commitment to gain the leadership skills nece~sary to enable me to help imFO quality of life for all people in Newton County." She is planning to go back to school in the summer and work towards a degree in elementary education. "I think it's helped bring the county together as a whole," James Graham, another participant, said recently about the program. "What's good for one part (of the county) IS good for another part." Graham, who lives at Little Rock, is a hard– working insurance agent for Fann Bureau. "It (the course) helps the individual in any field as far as his job," Graham added "It makes you think and helps you in dealmg with situations." Other participants are: Mary Bol– ton, Theresa Buntyn, Mytrle Burton, Chris Collins, Leon Eatmon, Patty Graham. Charles Hand, Ricky Har-

Leadership Newton County, a program developed through the combined efforts of the Newton. Hickory, Decatur and Union Cham– bers of Commerce, was created to establish a united base from which leadership skills can be developed through the county to promote mea– sured improvement to the quality of life for all people in Newton County. The objective of the program is to have adequate leaders who will be able to make more rational and reasonable decisions that will favor– ably affect the future development of Newton County. Taught at East Central Commun– ity College by Dr. Richard Et.hndge and Ovid Vickers, the Leadership Development course consists of se– ven sessions, including the inlroduc– tory session. The final session will be held in June. East Central is one of 57 schools that was selected to implement the course, originated by Phi Theta Kappa. Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, instituted the in– novative leadership project with the assistance of a 1.8 million dollar grant from the W.K. Kellogg Found– ation. The course, which was first taught at ECCC in January, 1993, was developed especially for stu– dents of community, technical and junior colleges, and for community activists who have no fonnal leader– ship training.

APPEARED IN:

CARTHAGINIAN NESHOBA DEMOC_RA_T__

SCOTT COUNTY TIMES UNION APPEAL WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL MERIDIAN STAR

NEWTON RECORD CLARION- LEDGER

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