NH Leadership Training Announced: Local Leadership Central NH accepting applications for 2016 class.

Do you have a vision for improving your community? Do you have ideas about how to face the most important emerging challenges and opportunities of the coming decade? Are you passionate about the splendors of your part of New Hampshire? Are you committed to making the region an even better place to live and work?

Now going into its third year, the local Leadership Central NH (formerly Leadership Academy) is designed to help citizens to achieve their goals. Since 1992, the statewide Leadership New Hampshire program has prepared over 600 accomplished and talented professionals and community members for an expanded role in shaping the state's future. By deepening their knowledge and understanding of the state, and strengthening their capacity to work with other key partners to create positive change, the program helps enhance the collaborative capacity of community leaders to get things accomplished in their civic and business lives.

Central NH Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Scott Stephens, of Campton, and Primex Chief Executive Officer, Leadership Central NH.

Ty Gagne, of Holderness, graduates of the Leadership New Hampshire Class of 2013, are the co-founders of this program. As part of their invigorated commitment to fostering effective collaborative relationships amongst business, non-profit and government leaders in New Hampshire, they have spearheaded this effort to launch a local Leadership Academy for the 2013-14 academic year.

"Our region is surrounded by other regional leadership programs. We saw both a gap and an opportunity to develop a program specific to the Plymouth, Squam, Waterville and Newfound areas." said Gagne. "There is a great deal of talent and social capital in our communities, and this program will help grow and sustain both."

"The Leadership Central NH participants have had the opportunity to develop and expand their level of awareness and engagement as an individual, as a community member and as a professional," explains Stephens. 'To achieve these outcomes for the next class, Leadership Central NH seeks to identify individuals who currently hold, or are aspiring toward leadership roles, drawing from diverse personal and professional backgrounds."

Program session days run from September through May, meeting one day a month at a variety of locations throughout the region. In addition to sessions on state and local government and non-profits in New Hampshire, topics covered in depth include education, healthcare, the environment and sustainability, the criminal justice system and economic development.

Leadership New Hampshire graduates are already amongst the most influential leaders in their local communities. They express great enthusiasm about expanding into central New Hampshire.

For example, former Plymouth Select board member, Ray Gosney, is amongst the many familiar faces who are graduates of the statewide program. He says that Leadership New Hampshire propelled him to want to become more deeply involved in local government and contribute to the Town of Plymouth's cutting edge energy efficiency initiatives. He highly recommends the Leadership Central NH program for anyone who wants to hone their leadership skills and who aspires to give back to the community.

"Not only will you get a thorough education in government, business and non-profits, but participants in the program get to rub elbows with other people who are aspiring to become more actively involved in important issues," said Gosney.

Founding Director of the Center for Rural Partnerships at Plymouth State University, and PSU's Provost for Research and Engagement, Dr. Thad Gulbrandsen, a 2011 graduate of Leadership New Hampshire, agrees that networking is a very crucial component of the program.

"The relationships that are formed go far beyond anything that could easily be developed in the course of our regular working lives," said Guldbrandsen. This gives you the ability to interact with people from all around the state and to tap into a broader network. "Professional relationships become deeper, richer and more authentic. It strengthens the connections between people and enables them to collaborate more effectively. There are many great leaders in our region, but we can all learn more and get better at working together."

Gulbrandsen emphasizes that the benefits of this new program accrue to more than just the individuals to participate. "The entire region will benefit when professionals and other community leaders are able to build skills that will make them more effective," said Guldbrandsen. There is a tremendous value for local employers to support their employees so that they can participate in the program."

Applications for the 2016 class are now being accepted, and interviews will be scheduled by the end of August for the Class beginning in September 2015. According to Central NH Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Scott Stephens, candidates who live or work in communities in the Newfound, Plymouth, Squam, Baker-Pemi-Waterville Valley regions are encouraged to apply. More information can be found on the Central NH Chamber website at Centralnh.org, email info@centralnh.org, or call 726-3804.