Celebrating Leadership in Stow

Seven residents will be honored by the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce June 7 for participating and graduating from the 2010-11 Adult Leadership Class.

Graduates of the class are: Donna Beheydt from Minuteman Press; Cyle Feldman athletic director for the ; Adam Glenn from ; Gregory Hullinger from Lighthouse Promotions; Ellen Kurr from ; from the school district and Kim Polatas from Marathon Financial Services. An eighth member of the class, Ed Dratwa from Merrill Lynch, passed away in April. His widow, Helen Dratwa, will accept a certificate of participation in his honor.

In the fall 2010, participants in the program met together once a month to build team leadership skills and expand their knowledge of the Stow-Munroe Falls area by visiting a number of private, community and governmental agencies, meeting local judges, touring news media agencies and even teaching a class at .  

Doris Stewart, executive director for the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce and graduate of the 2002 Adult Leadership Class, acknowledged that while there are other similar leadership programs in the area, there are definite benefits of having a Stow-Munroe Falls Leadership Program.

“When people go through our Adult Leadership program, they mainly get information from our local community,” she said. “We really focus in on Stow-Munroe Falls and what’s here. That’s a big advantage. We also branch out into the county a little, but it’s nice to have the camaraderie with people from our own community. They become a great source of knowledge to others in this area.”

Following completion of the program, participants are then encouraged to take leadership roles in local community service and volunteer organizations. Stewart said a large number of people who have gone through the program are now serving in leadership roles in the Stow-Munroe Falls community and even beyond.

Chaired by  Principal Julie Obraza, the Adult and Youth Leadership programs have graduated approximately 180 people since its inception in 1997. 

The graduation reception for the 2010-2011 adult leadership program graduates will be at the , 5027 Stow Rd., at 6 p.m. June 7.

Judge Lisa Coates will be the guest speaker. Each graduate will be awarded with a certificate of completion from the program. All Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce members and local dignitaries are encouraged to attend in support of the leadership graduates.

To RSVP, call the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce at 330-688-1579 or email Doris Stewart. Deadline to RSVP is June 2.

The steering committee for the Adult and Youth Leadership programs will be taking the 2011-2012 year off to give the committee time to enhance the program and the volunteer facilitator base, according to Stewart. However, she is encouraging any local residents who are interested in serving in that capacity to contact her.

“We need people who can make a good time commitment to keep this program as successful as it has been all along," said Stewart. "This is a great program and will continue to be. We want to open up the floodgates in making it bigger and better."