Community Leadership School

Each Session is designed in a panel/presenter format. Specific issues and topics concerning the Joliet/Will County area are selected for study.

• How To Effectively Network – Learn how to effectively network by a Dale Carnegie veteran
• Leadership Assessment – An evaluation of ones self to help define possible leadership productivity and personality style
• Region In Transition – City and County perspectives from local leaders
• Leadership & Community Engagement – The public good through community engagement depends on leadership
• Ethics In Responsibility – Learn how to judge situations and make the best decision possible
• Education & Business – Gain multiple perspectives from a panel of educators on how the future generations will be prepared for business
• Illinois Legislative Panel – An excellent way for CLS participants to address legislative leaders on issues that have direct impacts upon Joliet and Will County
• Personal Leadership Skills – A motivational perspective on the how’s and why’s of successful leadership
• Building on Joliet’s Excellence – Enjoy our very own bus trip around town discussing our past, present and future

To the Employer of a Future Community Leader:

I am reaching out to extend a personal invitation for you to consider sending one or more of your valued employees to the next Community Leadership School (CLS) offered by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce.

I am very familiar with this program and can speak to its worth through firsthand experience. As a member of the 2019 CLS class, the experiences I had in CLS and the networking opportunities it provided continue to make a difference in my professional life. Through CLS, I not only became much more familiar with the services, organizations and businesses in the Joliet and Will County area, but I also developed professional relationships and contacts that have greatly enhanced my role at Silver Cross Hospital. I can attest that this 10-week program can play an invaluable role in the building and developing of future leaders in our community.

For this 48th annual class offering, we will continue with programming sessions that explore the importance of networking, personal leadership, ethics and community engagement, while also allowing participants to become more familiar with how the Joliet and Will County regions continue to grow and evolve. Additionally, teams of participants will work on a service project in partnership with local nonprofit organizations to create and experience their own positive impact within our community.

We are mindful that participation in a 10-week course may sound time-consuming, as it requires valued employees to be away from their respective worksites each week. Know, though, that classes meet for just one day each week (Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.). We can assure you that the opportunities for personal and professional growth offered through CLS are tremendous and can make for a more enriched and actively engaged employee, while also allowing for the promotion your business through networking with community leaders, service agencies and other program participants with whom they will engage.

I encourage you to review the enclosed brochure and contact the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce with any questions about the 48th annual Community Leadership School. On behalf of the Joliet Chamber, we look forward to having your company represented in this year’s program, which will begin on January 9, 2025.

Sincerely,

Michelle Fisher, 2025 Community Leadership School Chairperson