Ready to serve: Locals graduate from leadership program

Each year, locals have an opportunity to participate in — and graduate from — a program focused on leadership, education, adventure and participation (LEAP) through Leadership Brown County.

And 2022 was no different as 12 residents took the LEAP and joined the program offered through Leadership Brown County, to learn more about the community they call home and the resources available here.

This year’s cohort graduated from LEAP on April 13 after engaging in six LEAP days and providing a minimum of four hours of community service in the year of their cohort, which was October through April 2022.

Individuals can be sponsored by an organization or business within the community to attend the program.

The goals of Leadership Brown County are to help develop leadership skills for Brown County citizens, to learn the needs of Brown County through community engagement and to create a networking forum to study community issues.

Participants focused on different areas each of the six LEAP days: team building and outdoor recreation; military services; the arts; volunteerism and social services; education; business and entrepreneurs; local government and emergency services; and natural resources the day of graduation.

The 2022 LEAP graduates are Greg Pagnard, Brian Shrader, Megan Newlin, Chris Snell, Josh Bales, Katie Finney, Kamady Rudd-Lewis, Andrea Swift-Hanlon, Sam Banter, Patrick Haulter, Pamela Green and Andrea Replogle.

Sponsors of this year’s cohort are Brown County Schools, Brown County Sheriff’s Department, Hills O’ Brown Vacation Rentals, Brown County government, Brown County Community Corrections, the Purdue Extension Office, Jack and Jill Nut Shop, Dave and Patty Frensemeier and the Brown County Music Center. Some participants were also self-sponsored.