Ehman has been a member of the nonprofit’s board since last year and stepped up to fill many of the director’s duties when long-time organization leader Melissa Riley Patsiavos resigned in August, board members said.
“I was thrilled that she was interested,” said Springfield Fire/Rescue Division Chief Nick Heimlich, who serves as curriculum committee chairman for the organization.
“Since August of last year until July of this year, we were without a director. It was the board pulling together,” Ehman said of the organization’s efforts to regroup and re-envision following Patsiavos’ departure.
Each fall the group hosts the Community Leadership Academy, which kicks off with the Amazing Race.
Participants meet for eight sessions over about six months to learn about the needs and resources of the Springfield region as well as leadership skills, including how to serve as board members of organizations.
Ehman’s position is half-time and she is responsible for academy recruiting and operations, community relations and fiscal and data management.
The focus moving forward is to extend the experience beyond the academy by improving ongoing communication with alumni and offering them quarterly service project opportunities in the community, Ehman and Heimlich said.
“The vision that we’ve drafted focused specifically on the academy,” Heimlich said.
The group also will work to update its alumni database to keep participants involved after their courses are over, Ehman said.
“We will have a few fundraisers,” she said, to support operations.
The Amazing Race is one of those fundraisers, but also serves to kick off the new academy class with a fun team-building activity where groups follow clues around Clark County, similar to the TV show by the same name.
This year’s race will be held Sept. 10.
Applications are now available for this year’s academy. They are due by Aug. 28.
For more information on Leadership Clark County or the academy visit leadershipclarkcounty.org.
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