Road Trip to Leadership

By Christina Miller, 2013 Leadership Huntingdon County Graduate

A little less than a year ago, a friend and colleague recommended Leadership Huntingdon County (LHC) to me. I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet people in the Huntingdon community and hone my leadership skills. What I didn’t expect was how this experience would open my eyes to the challenges and opportunities that face not only Huntingdon County, but every community in our area.

A nine-month series of courses, each Leadership meeting provides a view into a different segment of the community: business and industry, health and human services, education, diversity, the legal system, and recreation and tourism. Classes on leadership, conflict resolution and putting leadership to work are interspersed throughout the year.

And, although you will need to bring your notebook and pen to class, LHC is probably not the kind of class you remember from school. Panels made up of experts from the community present their knowledge in an interactive way. And, a good portion of the learning takes place outside of the classroom.

For me, LHC was like a road trip—and, to quote Dr. Seuss, “Oh the places you’ll go!”

Stops Along the Way

The session on health and human services began with a meal at the soup kitchen, where we dined alongside low-income members of our community. I know it was a very eye opening experience for me, as well as for many of my classmates. After our meal, we were given a set amount of M&Ms and told to allocate them in various household expenses, like housing, food, transportation and entertainment. Slowly, our M&Ms were taken away, one at a time, and still we were challenged to keep a house over our head and food on the table. These are the decisions some people in our community face every day.

LHC also gives you a chance to hit the open road. One of our two field trips this year included a scavenger hunt, where each group learned more about a particular part of the county—and more about each other. The second trip took us to Lincoln Caverns and the Lake Raystown Visitors Center to learn about recreation and tourism in the region. We also toured the Huntingdon 911 Call Center and the Huntingdon Career and Technology Center.

Throughout the courses, you are developing a group project. This year, there were two group projects. The first group organized ice cream socials for two area retirement homes. The second group held a fundraising dinner and silent auction for Hattie’s Helpers.

Revelations

To say that Leadership Huntingdon County exceeded my expectations is an understatement. As expected, I met people in the Huntingdon community, expanded my network, and made new friends. I honed my leadership skills and picked up some new skills as I continue my professional journey. The unexpected outcome for me was learning the past, present and future challenges and opportunities that exist in Huntingdon County.

These strengths and weaknesses are why it’s so important for today’s leaders to become involved. As the leaders in the community retire from their duties or move away, it’s crucial that new leaders step in to continue in these roles. And Leadership Huntingdon County is the perfect way for new leaders to begin this journey.

Your first stop is the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce, where you can pick up your application (which are being accepted now). Once applicants are chosen to participate in the Class of 2014, and introduction reception is scheduled, classes will be held monthly from September through May.

All we need to keep driving forward are leaders. Are you ready for a little road trip?

Christina Miller is an Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with her husband and dog.