Formation of Leadership group discussed July 10

Some local “movers and shakers” gathered at the Fulton County Transit Authority’s Event Room Thurs., July 10 with one purpose: to discuss training up future leaders for the area.

Spearheading the meeting was FCTA Deputy Director Kristin Grooms who recently graduated from the Leadership West Kentucky program. Her participation in the regional program cemented the idea in her mind to begin a similar program for residents of Fulton, Hickman, and South Fulton who wish to grow their own leadership skills. Those who don’t live in the area but work there are also eligible to join, too.

“Our program was six months,” Grooms explained. “We met monthly on a set Thursday.”

Grooms said that the local leadership program will focus on history, industries, small businesses, and other facets that make the area thrive. An educational facet, complete with a guest speaker with great knowledge of the topic, will also be part of the monthly meetings.

“We will offer them an overall glimpse of our community,” Grooms summed it up.

Passing around a copy of a mock program schedule, Grooms said that one month will feature small businesses which will include visits to the brick-and-mortar structures and offer discussions of how they got started, how they continue to grow, and even the challenges they face daily. 

The other months of the program will offer tours of area places to provide information as well as contacts for future networking opportunities. There will also be some unusual and fun events factored into the program.

Class members will be charged a fee to participate in the program. This fee can be paid by the participants themselves, their places of employment, and, possibly, through partial scholarships provided through other entities. 

Transportation for the program participants to the various field trips has already been secured by Grooms. Day sponsors will be sought to provide lunch and other incidentals needed to make each month’s event successful.

The community leaders in attendance offered their opinions about the program; members to serve as a smaller cohort group to form the leadership group and programming; advice for recruiting business, industries, and other organizations to offer the program visits; and goals for sustaining the program for the future. Although the group understood a leadership program isn’t a novel idea for the area, most seemed to believe this one could be very successful because of the timing, ideas, and enthusiasm.

The group gave Grooms the green light to recruit a cohort now to keep building the leadership program. Following this action, they decided to meet again in a few weeks to continue to shore up the program.

Those who met last Thursday with Grooms to discuss the leadership program development included Fulton County Judge Executive Jim Martin, Fulton-Hickman Counties Economic Development President Mark Welch, Fulton City Manager Mike Gunn, South Fulton City Manager Joyce Gray, FCTA Executive Director Kevin Kelley, Fulton Tourism Director Kenney Etherton, Fulton Police Chief Allen Poole, Fulton Fire Chief Steven Lang, South Fulton Fire Chief John Curtis, and FCTA Marketing Director Kim Jobe.