After Successful First Year, Chamber Of Commerce’s Leadership Program Gears Up For Second Run

The Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership program is about more than sharing ideas for best business practices or developing community ambassadors, although those certainly are part of it.

Building relationships among current and future community leaders is another important goal of the program.

The chamber graduated its first class of 16 participants in September and the program is gearing up for its second run beginning in February. The deadline for registering for the second session is Friday, January 24, and chamber director Dena Kreitler said only a few spots remained open.

The program took place on the third Wednesdays of every month.

Those interested in participating can contact Kreitler at the chamber office, 573-883-3686.

The program allowed participants to see how things are developing in various components in the county such as healthcare, agriculture/agritourism, education, tourism, manufacturing/economic development, recreation and local government by interacting with people involved in those areas in the county.

While participants received greater insight into those various areas, they also formed relationships with each other.

“It’s just about putting a face to name,” Kreitler said, “but it’s also to create a connection and relationship with those individuals. It’s about creating that partnership, too.

“But it’s also to take back to their business and say networking is so important and this is why you should be active in your chamber.”

Kreitler said among the relationships developed in the program was one between Oliver Siebert, who was in a new role as shipping manager at Mississippi Lime Company, and Ste. Genevieve Mayor Paul Hassler that proved beneficial when Siebert had to coordinate changes in shipping logistics through the city during the 2019 flooding.

“Because of Leadership,” Kreitler said, “he already had that connection with the mayor, and he felt comfortable reaching out to Paul to say, ‘Hey, we have this dilemma.'”

See complete story in the January 22 edition of the Herald.

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