By Rob Novit
Among the 2011-12 Leadership Aiken County participants was Alicia Davis, the City of Aiken's resource director.
At a reception for the new 2012-13 class Tuesday, Davis described the experience as wonderful, as she learned about the community and met about 20 other residents from a wide range of professions.
Her husband, Donte Davis, a Department of Energy engineer, described with a smile how his wife would come to him after a Leadership Aiken field trip.
"She was having all this fun," he said, "learning new leadership skills and meeting all those people. I said, 'Man, I want to be a part of this'."
Alicia Davis encouraged him to apply this year, and now Donte Davis is among 29 Aiken County residents who will participate in the leadership program this year.
His wife and other leadership members from last year will help coordinate field trips to learn about government, education, health care, business and industry, social service agencies and more.
They are getting started with a retreat at the Bishop Gravatt center next month.
By coincidence, the overall coordinator is Lauri Sojourner, director of Bishop Gravatt. "You'll love the topics we have the field trips and the knowledge you'll gain," she said.
The program is run entirely by volunteers, all of them having taken part in a previously leadership class.
Among them is Aiken Public Safety Police Chief Charles Barranco, who was part of the 2006-07 class and is now chairing the board of directors.
He discussed how the new class will be responsible for coming up with community project. The last class held a banquet as a fundraiser to provide grants for instructional projects sought by teachers.
Julie Ramsey, a Verizon Wireless staffer, moved to the community in February 2011 and became a leader to help better her new home.
"I'm excited to be a part of this," she said. "I want to get involved in business and leadership as a way to help grow Aiken.
"It's a wonderful place to be, and I want to find anything we can do to contribute and make it better."
Other class members include Matthew Braxton, Craig Brooks, Teressa Butler, Jana Chavous, Amy Connors, Billie-jo Culver, Angela Foreman, Anne Fulcher, Nick Gallam, Christine Gordon, George Grinton, Amber Holcomb, Ben Jones, Ben Lott, J.D. McDaniel, Patti McGrath, Andy Merriman, Candis Moyer, Marcia Nash, Stephanie Price, Erica Salley, Heather Sargent, Cathy Shaw, Joe Sobieralski, Merri Walton, Kiersten Warfield and Sean Wright.![]()
Among the 2011-12 Leadership Aiken County participants was Alicia Davis, the City of Aiken's resource director.
At a reception for the new 2012-13 class Tuesday, Davis described the experience as wonderful, as she learned about the community and met about 20 other residents from a wide range of professions.
Her husband, Donte Davis, a Department of Energy engineer, described with a smile how his wife would come to him after a Leadership Aiken field trip.
"She was having all this fun," he said, "learning new leadership skills and meeting all those people. I said, 'Man, I want to be a part of this'."
Alicia Davis encouraged him to apply this year, and now Donte Davis is among 29 Aiken County residents who will participate in the leadership program this year.
His wife and other leadership members from last year will help coordinate field trips to learn about government, education, health care, business and industry, social service agencies and more.
They are getting started with a retreat at the Bishop Gravatt center next month.
By coincidence, the overall coordinator is Lauri Sojourner, director of Bishop Gravatt. "You'll love the topics we have the field trips and the knowledge you'll gain," she said.
The program is run entirely by volunteers, all of them having taken part in a previously leadership class.
Among them is Aiken Public Safety Police Chief Charles Barranco, who was part of the 2006-07 class and is now chairing the board of directors.
He discussed how the new class will be responsible for coming up with community project. The last class held a banquet as a fundraiser to provide grants for instructional projects sought by teachers.
Julie Ramsey, a Verizon Wireless staffer, moved to the community in February 2011 and became a leader to help better her new home.
"I'm excited to be a part of this," she said. "I want to get involved in business and leadership as a way to help grow Aiken.
"It's a wonderful place to be, and I want to find anything we can do to contribute and make it better."
Other class members include Matthew Braxton, Craig Brooks, Teressa Butler, Jana Chavous, Amy Connors, Billie-jo Culver, Angela Foreman, Anne Fulcher, Nick Gallam, Christine Gordon, George Grinton, Amber Holcomb, Ben Jones, Ben Lott, J.D. McDaniel, Patti McGrath, Andy Merriman, Candis Moyer, Marcia Nash, Stephanie Price, Erica Salley, Heather Sargent, Cathy Shaw, Joe Sobieralski, Merri Walton, Kiersten Warfield and Sean Wright.