18-04-2025
Chamber launches 'revamped' leadership academy
The launch of the Leadership Academy of West Central Indiana will usher in a new era of leadership development in the Wabash Valley, the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday at a press conference.
The program was founded in 2014 by Rachel Leslie and Susan Turner, who called it the Wabash Valley Leadership Institute and saw 166 graduates.
Randolph
Brennan Randolph, president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, introduces the newly revamped Leadership Academy of West Central Indiana on Thursday at the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.
The COVID-19 pandemic derailed the program for a while until development of the new Leadership Academy of West Central Indiana was commissioned by the Chamber, with Jennifer Templeton and Amy Demchak of Momentum Consulting Partners recruited to develop new curriculum.
'Since the pandemic, the needs of our community have changed,' said Brennan Randolph, president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, which is offering three credit hours to those who go through the Academy. 'The reason we are here today is to launch this totally revamped program.'
'The needs of participants have changed,' agreed Jonathan Eilbracht, director of Strategic Programming for the West Central Indiana Partnership. 'Spending a whole week in an immersive program was not what they're looking for today.'
Instead, the program will offer one day of training on a monthly basis from September to May at a variety of locations throughout the region. Training will take the form of a variety of learning formats, including case studies, site visits, workshops, seminars and hands-on leadership training.
Trainees will enjoy opportunities to network with regional leaders and local and state elected officials and business and community leaders.
Templeton said she and Demchak researched for a year what the community needed and looked at other programs offered throughout the state.
'We did it though the lens of the participant and what businesses need to help leaders become more proficient,' she said.
What they found, Templeton said, was that businesses wanted, 'First and foremost, soft skills. How do I demonstrate empathy as a leader? How do I motivate people as a leader? How do I effectively delegate to get a team rowing in the same direction? …
'Can I get my team to engage in productive conflict so that we can commit to great ideas and move forward with accountability? Those were the key areas that we heard were needed in this community.'
Josh Alsip, vice president of regional engagement with the West Central Indiana Partnership, said this flagship program is based on five pillars — leadership, communication, productive conflict, effective teamwork and critical and strategic thinking.
The Chamber will take over the program's day-to-day administration, Eilbracht said.
For more information, visit Deadline for applicants is May 15, and those selected to participate will be announced June 15. Tuition is $2,500 for members of any regional Chamber of Commerce or $3,000 for non-members.
