LJ V Graduation Day

Here's a rundown from the Jefferson County Chamber's newsletter about the various and sundry activities from the graduation of Leadership Jefferson V, which happened a couple of weeks ago: Leadership Jefferson V concluded the year with a very active day July 17, 2011. The class started their day out at The Outdoor Education Center also known as FLOC (For the Love of Children), where Todd McKinney and his crew of assistants provided guidance and safety to LJ participants and their families on the High Ropes Course. The Course involved three horizontal challenges and three vertical challenges, which required strength, coordination, determination, and a bit of good ol' fashioned faith to accomplish. The reward was a sense of accomplishment and a trip down the zip-line. Many thanks to Todd for his time and resources and sense of fun and adventure. From there, Andrew Skinner (host of Leadership Jefferson) joined participants and their guests, along with alumni and friends of the program, by attending the CATF production ofAges of the Moon. Tickets to the show for participants were sponsored by Skinner Law Firm , which also sponsored the show for the community at large. Ages of the Moon: Old friends reunite over bourbon on ice to reflect upon the shadows of their lives. Fifty years of love, friendship, and rivalry are put to the test at the barrel of a shotgun in this gritty new play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Sam Shepard. The characters are older and the booze goes down a little harder as Shepard spins a poignant hangdog tale of remorse and regret for two men at the twilight of life's journey into night. Everyone enjoyed the play and then they were off to a great reception atThe Bavarian Inn ! LJ alum David Asam and his folks at The Bavarian Inn hosted a reception/dinner where graduates were recognized and given gifts of wine coolers created by Ren & Pam Parziale of Sycamore Pottery, which has become a tradition of Leadership Jefferson. Dave Miller was recognized for his many contributions to the program from its inception, and he was given a special bottle of Makers Mark whiskey. Special guests included Pete and Jan Dougherty, who have provided a scholarship for the Teacher of the Year of Jefferson County schools to attend the program every year since the inception of the program. Many alumni and their significant others attended and reconnected with their buddies, in addition to making new connections. Alum Jennie Allen, who is President of the Board of CATF was able to persuade the two New York actors from the show to come to the reception and impart their thoughts about CATF, the showAges of the Moon, and how delightful Shepherdstown and Jefferson County are.

Schedule for LJ VI

The sixth edition of Leadership Jefferson is being finalized right now. Those who would still like to learn about Jefferson County, meet its people, and understand what makes it tick need to get their applications in before August 12, 2011. The new year starts on September 7 and 8 with the overnight and adventurous Opening Retreat. The group will then meet the second Wednesday of every month until June, with the exception of February, when LJ VI will travel to Charleston to try to figure out how things work down there. The dates in February are the 19th through the 21st. Each day LJ meets is a FULL day.

Congrats to Joe Cosentini

Joe Cosentini -- a graduate of the second Leadership Jefferson class -- was recently named the City Manager of Charles Town. Congratulations to Joe!

Now Accepting Applications

If you want to be a leader in Jefferson County, now is the time to apply for next year's Leadership Jefferson class, which starts in September and graduates in the summer of 2012. We are looking for 25 people who live or work in the County and want to make it as successful of a community as can be. Go to http://www.jeffersoncountywvchamber.org/leadership/ for an application.

Tourism and Recreation in Jefferson County

The fifth Leadership Jefferson class just finished the Tourism and Recreation Module. The group visited the Shepherd University Wellness Center, Sam Michaels Park, the Epic Buffet at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Grapes and Grain Gourmet wine shop, Harpers Ferry KOA, and Summit Point Raceway. Endorphins flowed as the participants sped around the track with Summit Point Karts. Competitive juices flowed with basketball, ping-pong, climbing, and bouncing, and then were calmed with some wine to end the day. Many thanks to the team that planned the event, in addition to the speakers, who included Joe Manchin, Ken Lowe, Al Britton, and others. Nelson Parkinson, a graduate of a previous Leadership Jefferson class, also spoke to the group about tourism in the County.