.png)
What makes our community so special are the people who live, work, and serve here. Farmville and Prince Edward County has thoughtful citizens who are making a positive impact through their civic organizations, churches, elected and appointed offices, and various professional and volunteer roles. Many of our communities leaders consider our community’s Leadership Farmville program as an opportunity that helped to nurture their community involvement.
Leadership Farmville, sponsored by the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce, has been in existence for nearly two decades to help develop the next generation of local leaders who understand the issues impacting our community and are committed to helping bring about change using their professional and civic involvement.
We have had great success in this effort. One of the participants in our 2016-2017 program was newly-elected Town Council member Brian Vincent.
“One great aspect of Leadership Farmville is that it introduces you to amazing people who have long made an impact in this town, and to those who aspire to do the same,” Brian says. “I signed up for the 2016-17 class because I wanted to become more active in this great community. The warmth and welcome of those involved in the program was instrumental in orienting me to that goal. It’s a rewarding program that served as my first step on the way to Town Council. Plus, you gain a collective of inspiring new friends from your Leadership class cohort, and that also has brought me a significant amount of joy”.
This year’s Leadership Farmville program runs September 2018-March 2019 with monthly sessions devoted to subjects that affect community growth and quality of life, including governmental operations, leadership, education, economic development, and community service.
Past participants have emphasized the program has helped them learn to make a difference, given them resources and opportunities to be actively involved in the community, and offered them knowledge about Farmville government, services, and activities. Participants particularly enjoy the visit to the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, where they learn the inner workings of state government.
Participants are divided into groups, and each group develops a project to improve our community. Many of these projects are implemented and have far-reaching effects. For example, the Summer Film Series at Crute Stage was born from a Leadership Farmville project.
The 2016-17 program included seven groups that developed projects ranging from a Unity Public Art Project to show how this community is united, to a tourism website covering seven counties (the website has already gone live). Two of this year’s projects were accepted as finalists for the Downtown Farmville SOUP Event.
I encourage you to consider participating in this year’s Leadership Farmville program. It will provide you with a great opportunity for personal growth, learned and experienced potential influence, the ability to meet other individuals committed to our communities success, and to find ways to make an impact with your time, energy, and talents. Contact the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce at info@farmvilleareachamber.org or call 434-392-3939.
Cameron Patterson serves as Managing Director for the Robert Russa Moton Museum. Cameron is a member of the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors where he Co-Chairs with Dr. Amy Griffin, Superintendent of Cumberland County Schools the Education Committee which is tasked with implementing the Leadership Farmville Program. His email address is director@motonmuseum.org.
-
Chamber Champions:
Platinum Sponsors
Diamond Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
