Ten community professionals graduated from the annual Leadership Schuyler Program at a ceremony held on June 24, 2021, at Mangus Farms. To earn this distinction, each student completed six months of two-hour virtual sessions held every other week. During sessions, students discussed management and leadership skills. Sessions were led by various invited speakers and facilitated by Michael Hardy, the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
- Congratulations to the following graduates:
- Amy Abbey, Retail Manager, Fulkerson Winery
- Tiffany Bloss, Director, Schuyler Health Foundation
- Michaela Christensen, Director of Events, Watkins Glen Promotions
- Clara LaBarr, Assistant Clinical Manager, Schuyler Hospital
- Kelly Miller, Business Manager, the Arc of Chemung-Schuyler
- Kristine Morseman, Executive Director, My Place: A Play and Learning Center
- Tracy Savard, Director, Watkins Glen Public Library
- Benjamin Slaton, Production Manager/Engineer, Cargill Salt
- Diana Warn, Administration/Production Clerk, Cargill Salt
- Cynthia Williams, Career Program Specialist, GST BOCES
“One of the biggest benefits of this program is the opportunity to network and build relationships, both with your classmates, community leaders, and with alumni of the program,” said Hardy. “Leadership Schuyler graduates are the future of our community. I’m excited for you to take what you’ve learned in this class, partnered with the connections you’ve made, and grow – professionally and personally.”
At the graduation ceremony, Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn reinforced the value of strong relationships and the power of creative thinking.
“It’s important to build strong relationships,” said O’Hearn. “You may be working with potential investors and interacting with future decision-makers. I hope that you will bring innovative thinking to all of these interactions and stay away from bureaucratic thinking. A lot of good work happens when we think creatively.”
Photo caption: (from left): Wendy Shutter, Michaela Christensen, Amy Abbey, Michael Hardy, Tiffany Bloss, Clara LaBarr, Tim O’Hearn, Cynthia Williams, Kelly Miller, Tracy Savard, Kristine Morseman. (Absent: Benjamin Slaton and Diana Warn)