The Catskill Chronicle

MONTICELLO, NY (July 5, 2011) – Each June, Sullivan County residents celebrate graduations of friends and loved ones from all sorts of academic programs, honoring their achievements and wishing them well as they use their skills in useful and meaningful ways. The Sullivan County Chamber of  Commerce and its associated Chamber of Commerce Foundation are pleased to celebrate their own graduation – that of the Leadership Sullivan class.

Leadership Sullivan is one of the most important offerings of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Foundation and is celebrating over a dozen years of turning out some of the best and most capable leaders in the region. The program was conceived in the late 1990s to "develop informed and committed leaders from all segments of the community who will apply their collective experience and skills to serve, strengthen and improve the quality of life for all Sullivan County residents." Through a wide range of topics, participants in the program are exposed to many of the elements that make Sullivan County such a unique place to live and work; it is this deep knowledge and appreciation for the County that encourages such tremendous success for these future community ambassadors.

The 2010-11 Leadership Sullivan class included Class President Laurene Sandstrom (Hudson Health Plan), Class Historian Hannah Prall (Hannah Prall, Esq.), Class Historian Juliette McKerrell (First National Bank of Jeffersonville, Liberty Branch), Lisa Blomme (Sullivan ARC), Lisa Brent (Sullivan BOCES), Elizabeth Curtis (Crystal Run Health Care), Orlando Hernandez (The Recovery Center), Jennifer Muthig (Provident Bank), Debra Reimer (Catskill Hudson Bank), Dawn Ryder (Granite Associates), Brandy Smith (First National Bank of Jeffersonville, Narrowsburg Branch), and Ronald Totten (New Hope Community). This tight-knit group of leaders was able to accomplish two significant class projects – benefitting the Federation for the Homeless (in the construction of a computer lab for job searching and technological instruction) and Habitat for Humanity (through a publicity campaign and fundraising effort that resulted in thousands of dollars for the local chapter) – in addition to regular sessions around Sullivan County.

Program Facilitator Lori Rubinstein commented that this year’s class particularly took the message of leadership to heart and that they exemplified the best characteristics: "type-A, self-starting, over-achieving, highly-motivated individuals who were not afraid of hard work and certainly not willing to settle for anything less than excellent."

Leadership Sullivan would not be the success that it is without the sponsorship of local businesses. The First National Bank of Jeffersonville and Crystal Run Health Care are program sponsors; Catskill Hudson Bank played an integral role in this year’s graduation, with additional support and donations from table sponsors including New Hope Community, The Recovery Center, Spencer Daniels Agency, and Sullivan ARC and media sponsors Bold Gold Media/Thunder 102 and WSUL/WVOS.

The program regenerates itself each year with a new and diverse class of students. Individuals interested in participating in the 2011-2012 Leadership Sullivan class should call the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce at (845) 791-4200 or e-mail chamber@catskills.com for more information. Applications are due by July 29th and classes will begin in early September.