Starting in September, we walked into our opening retreat as strangers. By May, we left the closing retreat as newfound friends, colleagues, and partners toward growing a better Frederick County.
Spanning over nine months, the Class of 2022 gathered both in-person and virtually nearly a dozen times to learn every facet of what makes Frederick County tick. More than just adult field trips, each of these days allowed us the opportunity to connect and learn about County industries, organizations, and leaders. We took it upon ourselves to dive into the good, bad, and ugly of each sector to uncover for ourselves what’s working and where we can help.
To close out the program, we each spent our closing retreat reminiscing about our days together, discussing the leadership lessons we learned, and sharing the profound professional and personal impacts this program had on us. Here’s a recap of the LFC Class of 2022.
Our Favorite Content Days:
- History Day
- Ag Day
- Economic Development Day
- Public Safety Day
Our Top Takeaways:
- Support local farmers by voting with your dollar
- Pay attention to community issues, even if you don’t think they impact you
- Leaders can be found at every level of an organization
- Cultivate connections through providing help, then asking for assistance
- Frederick’s history extends beyond downtown and Monocacy Battlefield
- Public Safety is expensive but necessary
Non-Profit Organizations we supported through our Leaders on Loan projects:
- Centro Hispano
- FITCI
- The Umbrella Project
- Habitat for Humanity
- Rotary Club of Carroll Creek
- Hartley House
- Justice Jobs
Favorite Happy Hour Spots:
- Brewer’s Alley
- Cacique
- Frederick Social
- White Rabbit
Thank you to Jennifer Gerlock, Rick Weldon, the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce team, Adam Cubbage, and our content day leaders for creating a top-notch experience for the Class of 2022. Without your dedication and expertise, this program would not be as stellar or insightful as it is. Also, a special thank you to the Best Class Ever* for allowing me to share our stories from each day. Without your collaboration, support, and acceptance, this opportunity would not have been as genuinely life-changing as it was.
*Confirmed by Rick Weldon
Ellen Buchanan is a member of the Leadership Frederick County Class of 2021-2022 Cohort. She is a marketing professional with a passion for growing communities and enriching lives through digital storytelling. As a Marketing Communications Specialist at Edgewater Federal Solutions, her responsibilities include developing and implementing multi-channel advertising and marketing strategies, conducting media outreach, creating social media and website, content, and assisting the organization to reach its communication goals. Given the opportunity, Ellen also goes behind the lens of her camera to highlight communities through photography.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.