The Leadership Tuscarawas Class of 2024 will present an overview of their community projects at the Graduation Celebration on May 14, 2024, at Kent State Tuscarawas. At the graduation celebration, thirty-two class members will be recognized for their achievements in the 10-month leadership development program.
Each year, the Leadership Tuscarawas class is assigned community projects focused on enhancing the quality of life for people who live and work in Tuscarawas County. Throughout the program, class members work with project partners and other community members to complete their projects. This year’s class worked on six projects. Projects include Tuscarawas Co Senior Ctr Mobility Management plan; COAD Child Care Provider Recruitment; Empower Tusc Suicide Prevention; Tuscarawas County Farmers Market sustainability plan; Tuscarawas Arts Partnership, and Dennison Depot Railroad Museum, Dennison &Ohio Railroad Plan. Each group will present an overview of their project as part of the evening’s events. Following the presentations, a graduation ceremony will be held with Dean Brad Bielski, Kent State University at Tuscarawas, as the featured speaker.
In addition to working on community projects, Leadership Tuscarawas participants attend monthly program days focused on servant leadership, community awareness and a variety of leadership professional development programs.
During the program, participants have the opportunity to network and learn from each other as well as from many community leaders who are invited to present at monthly program days. Topics of the program days vary and include agriculture, justice, manufacturing, tourism, and government, among others. Each year, class members take a bus tour of Tuscarawas County, visit local businesses and manufacturers, and tour the Tuscarawas County Jail and Juvenile Attention Center.
Members of the graduating class include Benjamin (Ben) Alderfer; Aultman Health Foundation; Casey Allison, Cleveland Clinic/Union Hospital; Kamie Anderson, The Commercial & Savings Bank; Nichole Bache, New Phila Health Dept.; Jenn Case, Boltaron; Hilary Celuch, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Jacob Christ, First Federal Community Bank; Kevin Cochenour, Kraton; Taylur Cunningham, Dennison Depot Railroad Museum; Kimberly Downin, Tusc. County Probate & Juvenile Court; Joey Ellwood, FNB Corp.; Mary Jo Hanlon, Allied Machine and Engineering; Kimberly Harper Gray, Smartway/Lauren; Allison Hoffman, ECO-ESC; Andrew Hopwood, Allied Machine and Engineering; Kimberly Huston, Kent State; Angel Jewell, Boltaron; Michael Mahaffey, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Briana March, Kraton; Christi Otte, Tusc County Board of DD; Dhruba Panthi, Kent State; Teresa Parrish, Tusco Manufacturing; Jeffrey Pike, Cleveland Clinic/Union Hospital; Raquel Pittman, Mako's Market; Nathan Polen, Allied Machine; Shelagh Pruni, Reeves Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum; Alicia Robertson, Battle Motors; Lisa Sidoti, Tusc Co. Board of DD; Nicole Stephan, Tusc. Co. Public Defenders Office; Michelle Stephens, Dover Chemical; Jessica Warfield, Kraton; and Natasha Yonley, Tusc. County Health Dept.
The community is invited to celebrate the graduating class at Kent State Tuscarawas Founders Hall on Tuesday, May 14th starting with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres will be served before the opening remarks that begin at 6 p.m.
Please RSVP to William H. Beisel at wbeisel@kent.edu.