A new class of the Grassroots Leadership Development Institute will graduate during a ceremony held at The Piedmont Club Tuesday, September 13, 2016. Nearly 30 Spartanburg County residents graduated during the ceremony and will embark on a new journey to improve the community by utilizing the skills they have gleaned over the past seven months. Over 150 Graduates and community leaders were in attendance. Scott Neely, Director of Project for Community Transformation, shared an inspirational message regarding the importance of coming together in unity.
The Grassroots Leadership Development Institute is a special initiative of The Spartanburg County Foundation. This seven- month leadership training program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skill-set, and resources to be effective in leading change at the grassroots level. Participants meet one Saturday a month to increase their ability to make a positive difference in their neighborhoods and in the greater Spartanburg community.
Since its inception in 2004, more than 280 individuals have graduated from the Institute and serve the community in various leadership roles. For the past ten years, the City of Spartanburg has joined the Foundation as a sponsor by sending several of the City’s local neighborhood leaders through the Institute, thereby increasing their ability to bring about significant change in their neighborhoods.
“We are honored to have partnered with the City of Spartanburg for the past 10 years to offer this important leadership program to Spartanburg County residents,” said Troy Hanna, President and CEO of The Spartanburg County Foundation. “We are excited to see this leadership program grow and develop quality individuals who will continue to improve the greatest needs in our community.”
The 2016 Grassroots Leadership Development Institute graduates are Stevonna Anderson; Dana Bertolino; Stacey Bevill; Cynthia Renee Brown; William Cleveland, III; Chris Cornelius; Lisa Hawgood Cox; Misty Dillard; Sabrina Eason; Maricela Garcia; Kelly Harvey; Dwayne Hatchett; Jonathan Hawj; Dwayne Hoskins, BA, DC; Chip Johnson; Jennifer Land; Deborah McClary; J. Bates McKinney; Vanessa Mormon; Cody Owens; Cindy Parris; Anthony Sartor; Charles Scurry; Glenda Sims, PhD, RN; Karen Smith; Selena Smith; Terrie Smith; Vernon Smith; Shonda Tucker.
Confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.