Leadership Ashland is the county’s premier community leadership development program.

It empowers you to recognize your capacity to lead not just professionally, but in ALL areas of your life.

Enhancing Leadership Skills

Recognize your capacity to lead not just professionally, but in ALL areas of your life by truly understanding your strengths.

Discovering Community Assets

Discover that there is more than meets the eye to our community and understand the assets that make Ashland someplace special.

Creating Opportunities for Service

Understand the true meaning of servant leadership and how you can use it to change lives.

How It Works content block - working document

Years of Building Leaders

745+

Graduated Leaders

Participants will be equipped with the tools to:

Understand Their Strengths
Through the StrengthFinder 2.0 Assesment, participants learn their top 5 strengths and how important it is to have different strengths on a team.
Navigate Group Development
By observing Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development, students will learn about the Four Stages of Group Development (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing) and how to move a team through each stage.
Process Information
With help from the Kolb’s Learning Inventory, the class will learn how they take in information (Concrete Experience vs. Abstract Conceptualization) and how they use information (Reflective Observation vs. Active Experimentation).
Understand Board Effectiveness
Participants will have the opportunity to audit a board of directors where they will experience the components of a well-run board meeting, board governance, and how different boards serve Ashland County.

Facilitate Leadership
Participants rate their own facilitative leadership behaviors and learn how to use Appreciative Inquiry to ask powerful questions to help address challenges.
Collaborate Efficiently in Groups
By practicing collaborative problem solving using their strengths, learning style, and powerful questions, students will begin to cultivate an attitude that assists in creating successful collaborative initiatives.
Implement Accountability
The class will focus on the importance of being able to move on a continuum between compassion and accountability when working with others in their organization and the community to achieve results.
Provide Perspective of Ashland County
Via a day-long bus tour, participants explore Ashland County from North to South, visiting various sites to gain an understanding of all that Ashland County has to offer.

Meet John Swope.

Leadership Ashland Facilitator

John Swope is the Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary. His background includes teaching middle school, pastoring in various ministries, as well as teaching and administrating in higher education. He holds advanced degrees in leadership, divinity and theology. John has served in a variety of leadership roles in the Brethren Church on the regional and national level, as well as at the university and seminary.

Class Days

September
Class Retreat
This is a full day retreat that entails team development in the morning, followed by an overview of the year and discussion on areas of interest for future class days. Participants will select the class day focus in which they are interested and develop planning teams for each of those class days.
October
Bus Tour
Starting at the Ashland County Historical Society, the class embarks on a bus tour of various sites throughout Ashland County. This is an opportunity to see the diversity of businesses and recreational opportunities that exist in the county.

October
November
Board Development
Starting with the introduction to our leadership development modules in the morning, this class then presents participants with in-depth information on the responsibilities of serving on a board, as well as participating in a mock board meeting. The last part of the class day provides participants with the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from several non-profit and civic organizations in the community to explore opportunities for board service.
December - May
Leadership Development Topic Focused Days
Each month from December through May includes 4 hours of leadership development (usually done in the morning), followed by speakers and/or site visits focused on the community topic for that class. Focus areas include Agriculture and Environment, Business and Industry. Culture and Recreation, Education, Government and Safety Services, Health and Social Services.

December - May
June
Philanthropy and Graduation Day
The morning is dedicated to learning about the Ashland County Community Foundation. Participants hear from the Executive Director of ACCF, as well as ACCF Board members and staff about the important work that the Community Foundation does in Ashland County. Then, class members participate in an experiential exercise that provides them with the opportunity to learn about the grant-making process at ACCF. At the end of the morning, participants share their final reflections of the class year. A “business-casual” graduation lunch is held immediately after the session at ACCF.

LA Alumni Association

The LA Alumni Association focuses on bringing together all those who have graduated from a Leadership Ashland Class!

As a past participant, you serve as an ambassador for the Leadership Ashland Program on a daily basis – personally, and professionally.

We hope that through your experience as a Leadership Ashland participant, you will be inspired to help sustain the program for future

leaders to come. Here are a few ways you can show your support:

Offer professional advice for LA Alumni and current class participants
Provide meeting locations for future classes
Speak to current and future classes
Provide Scholarship Support – any time during the year
Donate to the LA General Program Fund
Network / Connect with other LA Alumni

A Special Thanks to Our Sustaining Supporter!

A Special Thanks to Our Program Sponsor!

The Volunteer Match Program

Strong leaders help create strong organizations. Volunteer Match LA, a collaboration between Leadership Ashland and the Ashland County Community Foundation, connects Leadership Ashland alumni with Ashland County non-profit organizations to fill board and other volunteer leadership needs. Volunteer Match LA matches your interests and abilities with the needs of our local non-profit community, so you enjoy meaningful board service opportunities.

Volunteer Match LA benefits alumni and community organizations by:

Identifying interests, skills, and expertise you can offer non-profit organizations
Providing you the opportunity to be matched with top-notch non-profit organizations.

A key mission of Leadership Ashland is to teach leaders the skills necessary to successfully serve on a non-profit board of directors and then encourage alumni to actively engage in community leadership opportunities. Volunteer Match LA provides the connection for alumni and non-profits that need skilled leaders on their boards.

Check it out

“Participating in Leadership Ashland has been a great experience for me. The skills you gain from the class are invaluable; they help you with the Organizations you serve, your workplace, and life. Aside from the skills, the networking opportunities and new-found friendships are an added bonus. I truly believe that anyone participating in this program will grow as a person and a leader.”

Erica BaysPark National Bank

“Leadership Ashland truly changed my life more than I could have imagined. It was engaging, thought provoking, and I learned a lot about myself. I also learned a lot about Ashland as a whole and now have a greater appreciation for the Ashland community and everything it has to offer.”

Alicia CamakNorth Central State College

Leadership Ashland is the county’s premier community leadership development program.

It empowers you to recognize your capacity to lead not just professionally, but in ALL areas of your life.

Enhancing Leadership Skills

Discovering Community Assets

Creating Opportunities for Service

Participants will be equipped with the tools to:

Understand Their Strengths

Navigate Group Development

Process Information

Understand Board Effectiveness

Facilitate Leadership

Collaborate Efficiently in Groups

Implement Accountability

Provide Perspective of Ashland County

Meet John Swope.

Class Days

September

Class Retreat

October

Bus Tour

October

November

Board Development

December - May

Leadership Development Topic Focused Days

December - May

June

Philanthropy and Graduation Day

LA Alumni Association

A Special Thanks to Our Sustaining Supporter!

A Special Thanks to Our Program Sponsor!

The Volunteer Match Program

Contact

Like us on Facebook!

Categories