Empowering Community Leadership: Elgin Area Leadership Academy accepting applications

Individuals interested in becoming active and engaged leaders in their community are encouraged to apply to the award-winning Elgin Area Leadership Academy Class of 2018-19. This year marks the 18th class of the chamber's award-winning program available to those who are interested in building an understanding of community leadership.

The Elgin Area Leadership Academy is a 10-month program, meeting on Saturday mornings, featuring distinguished community leaders, content experts and successful executives in the Elgin area sharing their ideas, perspectives and experiences.

Monthly programs provide individuals with the skills, knowledge, connections and engagement necessary to develop and leverage a strong professional network of future and current Elgin leaders in all industry types.

The Elgin Area Leadership Academy is an experience for individuals interested in building an understanding of community leadership through exposure, enrichment and engagement. This program crafts and delivers a curriculum specifically designed to assist individuals in becoming active and engaged leaders in their community.

Among the top three things most participants valued learning include are an up-close exposure to community and business leaders, a deep understanding of how the city works and what its assets, challenges and opportunities are, and most of all, networking with people they might otherwise never meet.

Ask Elgin Area Leadership Academy grads if they would recommend it to others and you get a resounding "Yes".

Graduate City Councilman Corey Dixon shares his experience: "I began applying the skills I acquired during my EALA experience right away at my job and within in the Elgin community. I took on additional leadership opportunities at work and utilized my newfound network of EALA graduates to pursue holding public office."

Armida Dominguez went through the program in 2005-2006. She came away with a new awareness of community spirit and engagement with "a community I had lived in for more decades. We can help and support each other in our desires to make Elgin a greater place to live in by helping its people." She sees the Elgin Area Leadership Academy pulling the best out of each participant and giving them a "can-do spirit'". "We are the community and it's what we give back that makes its reputation." A program sponsored by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Elgin Area Leadership Academy develop a corps of informed, committed, and qualified individuals capable of providing dynamic leadership for the greater Elgin area. Founded in 1990, more than 525 individuals have graduated from the Academy volunteering in virtually all aspects of the community. The curriculum provides broad-based leadership perspectives to familiarize participants with the needs, opportunities and resources in the Elgin area.

Monica Meyers, an Elgin Area Leadership Academy grad and executive director of Forest Preserve District of Kane County, says of her experience, " You won't be disappointed being a part of EALA. As with anything, you will get out of it what you put into it. The program is not only educational but fun. I have great memories from our group and the sessions."

The Academy is led by community volunteers Dan Fox, Don Waters and Ruth Munson who have extensive leadership involvement in Elgin. Through their guidance, participants receive skills and knowledge necessary to become an effective leader through a curriculum built around community issues, including city government, economic development, ethics, health care resources, education and much, much more.

During the monthly sessions, participants work together with local leaders to expand their network of contacts and resources, to increases their breadth of knowledge about the community, and to develop leadership skills. The curriculum also includes a community assignment, challenging the participants to explore current issues firsthand.

For more information about the Elgin Area Leadership Academy, visit www.elginchamber.com/leadership or contact the Chamber office at (847) 741-5660.