NEOSHO, MO.--- What makes a successful community? That is the question that inspired Nina Eads and Dr. Kent Farnsworth to get involved with "Leadership Neosho."
"The idea is that it prepares some of our younger people to become future leaders in our community," says Nina Eads, Leadership Neosho.
Twelve community members, sponsored by their employers, have been chosen to participate in this year's program.
"People who are skilled leaders and also have a very good sense of what Neosho needs and how they can contribute to that," says Dr. Kent Farnsworth, Leadership Neosho.
The group will meet every other week for 7 weeks, visiting and learning about different businesses and organizations in Neosho.
"How the city is organized, county commissioners, the healthcare in the community, they learn leadership skills, they learn about the economic development history," says Eads.
Dr. Farnsworth says he feels the greatest thing Leadership Neosho offers is community awareness.
"We think we know a lot about our community until we go to something like this and get the opportunity to talk specifically with people that are in the jobs that are leading the community, and we find there is a great deal more to it than we had thought," says Dr. Farnsworth.
Eads and Farnsworth agree, the program benefits the future of Neosho as well as the individual participants.
"Once you go through the class, you can get involved. It's easy to get involved if you find something you are passionate about," says Eads.
The program will kick off tomorrow with a meet and greet luncheon at Crowder College. In April, the group will take a 2-day trip to Jefferson City where they will visit different areas of the state government.
