KICKING OFF – Members of the Class of 2025 for Leadership Ohio Valley gathered Thursday for the program’s opening activities. Members of the class include, in front from left, Danielle Stroud; Yolanda Edwards; Jennifer O’Neill; Lavonnia Montgomery; Elizabeth Smith; Heather Southern; Lettie Muynila; and Dawn Smith, and in back, Nathaniel Kurty; Clark Miller; Kevan Brown; and Ira Aracich. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — A program, organized by the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce to encourage networking and community involvement, kicked off for another year Thursday.

Members of the Leadership Ohio Valley Class of 2025 gathered at Undo’s in Weirton to begin a journey of learning more about the area, others and themselves, and how they can become more active members of their businesses and towns.

“It looks like we have quite an energetic group,” noted Brenda Mull, president of the chamber, in welcoming the class.

This year’s class, and their sponsors, include Ira Aracich, Hancock County Commission; Kevan Brown, IBEW Local 246; Yolanda Edwards, Form Energy; Nathaniel Kurty, Bulldog Rack; Clark Miller, Business Development Corp.; Lavonnia Montgomery, Howard Hanna Mortimer Realty; Lettie Muynila, Weirton Geriatric Center; Jennifer O’Neill, Hancock and Brooke Young Professionals; Dawn Smith, City of Weirton; Elizabeth Smith, True North LLC; Danielle Stroud, CHANGE, Inc.; and Heather Southern, First Commonwealth Bank.

Over the next seven months, the class will organize and participate in a series of group sessions, which will expose them to various elements of their communities, beginning today with a Simulated Society exercise.

They will continue with sessions focusing on health and human services; government; education; history and culture; and business and economic development. In addition, they must volunteer six hours of their time towards projects and activities in the area, attend meetings for local governmental entities and community civic organizations, and plan and implement a service project.

“Leadership is about the big picture and the small details,” Mull said, explaining some qualities of good leadership include keeping a positive attitude, setting goals and delegating tasks, having courage, integrity and humility, thinking outside of the box and having a sense of humor.

Mull told the class they will be presented with challenges, but will be able to overcome them by working together, adding the experience will help them to discover more about what they are capable of doing, as long as they are willing to do the work.

“You can get a lot out of it,” she said. “Like anything else, you get out of it what you put in.”

The class will be provided with guidance, this year, by session advisors, including Carole Scheerbaum, who led a True Colors exercise Thursday; Stephanie O’Brien and Brandon Palmeri, who will operate today’s SIMSOC; Clayton Henderson from Weirton Medical Center for Health and Human Services; Hancock County Commissioner Paul Cowey for Government; Crystal Harbert of West Virginia Northern Community College for Education; local historian Paul Zuros for History and Culture; and Anthony Clements of the BDC for Business and Economic Development.

Class coordinators are Daniel Day and Ashley Flaherty.