Emerging and established community leaders can learn to identify and build on their community’s assets and network with local leaders at the annual Community Leadership Academy, to be held Oct. 3-4 at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown.

A full schedule of courses and access to online registration is available at http://www.cla-wv.org. The cost is $200 per person for the two-day event. Student and group discount rates are available. The deadline to register is Monday, Sept. 23.

Participants can choose between two tracks for the conference: community leadership or local government leadership, formerly known as the Local Government Leadership Academy. Topics emphasize enhancing personal leadership skills and providing an understanding of current, complex issues affecting communities.

“A community is only as strong as its members,” said Kelly Nix, West Virginia University Extension Service Community Leadership specialist. “We’re helping build a network of local leaders and provide opportunities to share ideas that will help communities collaborate, as reflected in our academy theme ‘working together.’”

Many of the courses target city and county officials, volunteer leaders, Main Street program participants, Chamber of Commerce representatives, local business owners and members of local boards and commissions.

In addition to discussion opportunities throughout the conference, attendees can participate in a structured networking session organized by the West Virginia Community Development Hub.

Speakers include experts like Purdue University’s Ed Morrison of the Center for Regional Development, and Chris Plein, Eberly Professor of Outstanding Public Service at WVU.

The Academy is organized by WVU Extension Service’s Community Resources and Economic Development program in partnership with the West Virginia Community Development Hub, West Virginia Association of Counties, and County Commissioners’ Association of West Virginia.

Funding for the academy is provided in part by Chesapeake Energy to ensure that community and local government leaders receive necessary training and collaboration opportunities.

The Community Leadership Academy has been approved for 11.5 hours of Local Economic Development credit by the West Virginia Economic Development Council.

WVU Extension Service’s local experts work to help improve the lifestyles and well-being of workforces, communities and businesses through trusted research in the counties in which they serve.

To learn more about the conference, contact Robin Frost, WVU Extension program coordinator, at 304-293-4318, or e-mail robin.frost@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

cw 9/10/13

CONTACT: Cassie Waugh, WVU Extension Service
Office: 304-293-8735, Cell: 304-376-1829, Cassie.Waugh@mail.wvu.edu

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