Year of Leadership honors community contributions

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Leaders are not always the loudest people in the room or those who crave the limelight. Often, exemplars of leadership are individuals who serve their communities with little fanfare.

They don’t look for recognition, so that’s where the Westerville community is stepping in. 2017 has been named the “Year of Leadership” by Leadership Westerville, a nonprofit organization that offers leadership development programs and organizes community events.

The year’s theme commemorates the 15th anniversary of the organization, which partners with the city of Westerville, Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, Westerville City Schools, Westerville Public Library and Otterbein University to encourage citizens to become committed leaders in the Westerville community.

Since its founding in 2001, more than 250 adults have participated in the Leadership Westerville program, says Leadership Westerville Executive Director Phyllis Self. The organization also offers two programs for high school youth.

Westerville Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi says the dedication of program participants and city volunteers emphasizes the importance of community collaboration.

“In Westerville, we like to recognize people for their contributions,” Cocuzzi says. “People are enthusiastic about supporting the community, so we got together and thought it would be a good year to do this.”

Salute to Leaders Gala

One way Leadership Westerville plans to celebrate the Year of Leadership is by hosting a Salute to Leaders Gala at the Westerville Embassy Suites on March 23.

The event will honor recipients of two Lifetime Leadership awards for service organizations and schools, one Leader of Promise award for nominees under 18 years of age and one Community Spirit Leader award for nominees 18 years and older.

Leadership Westerville is working with the Point – Otterbein’s science, technology, engineering, arts and math innovation center – to develop awards for the winners, Cocuzzi says.

“We are having some awards designed and engineered by students for certain categories,” she says. “It will be unique.”

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for an hour of hors d’oeuvres, dessert stations and live music. The formal hour-long program follows at 7 p.m.

“We really want this to have an atmosphere of celebration,” Self says. “It hopefully will be a cross-section of our entire community and all of the various organizations which are located here in Westerville.”

Tickets to the gala are $25 per person, or $300 for a table of 10. The deadline for table purchases is March 10. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.

Business of the Year Awards

Though the gala is focused on recognizing individual honorees, local business honorees have already been awarded.

Northstar Family Dental and Roush Honda received Business of the Year awards from the Chamber, in conjunction with the Year of Leadership, at its Jan. 31 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.

Northstar, winner of the award for businesses with fewer than 50 employees, strives to have a positive presence in Westerville through educational outreach visits at schools, participation in community involvement activities and donation of a portion of sales to a “charity of the month,” says Tiffany Fleeman, the practice’s marketing director.

“This is something our practice as a whole is so passionate about,” says Fleeman. “It is really due to the way that Dr. (Christina) Kulesa has led the practice. … She makes it easy and inspiring to get involved.”

Jeff Brindley, president of Roush Honda, winner of the award for businesses with 50 or more employees, says he and his staff are honored to receive the award. The dealership couldn’t have done it without the Westerville community’s support, Brindley says.

“We are not recognized for these things because we do anything exceptional. We’re recognized for these things because we had the resources to do things exceptionally through the support that we get,” he says. “It is really about thanking the community for the support.”

Continuing the Legacy of Leadership

Janet Tressler-Davis, president and CEO of the Chamber, says she hopes Westerville’s Year of Leadership festivities will inspire others to find ways to contribute to their community.

“I think by … putting an emphasis on leadership and community involvement, that attracts even more people who want to get involved and be part of making a difference and making a change,” she says. “By promoting that, it just kind of generates on and on.”

More information on Westerville’s Year of Leadership and the Salute to Leaders Gala can be found on the Chamber website, www.westervillechamber.com.

Amanda Etchison is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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