Leadership Academy graduates class of 2012

33 graduate from 30th LAMC class addressed by Chuck Staley

By Scott Underwood
The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON, Ind. — Thursday night marked at least two milestones for the Leadership Academy of Madison County.

It marked the 30th graduating class from the academy, and the attendance at the annual graduation dinner at Anderson Country Club set a new record of 167.

Keynote speaker Chuck Staley, CEO of the Flagship Enterprise Center, challenged the 33 graduates of the class of 2012 to be “community builders” and emphasized that “what we say has power” to influence both the reputation and direction of the community.

Staley’s remarks transported the gathering back first to the local recession of the early 1900s following the failure of the gas boom in Anderson, then to the recovery of 1915, during which 108 new companies illuminated the local industrial landscape.

“The prognosticators of doom have reappeared,” said Staley, speaking of Anderson today. “But I believe we are on the verge of another economic renaissance.”

His optimism, he said, was supported by Anderson University’s transformation from “benign isolationism” to “official engagement” and by the success of new businesses operating out of the Flagship.

Mark Thacker spoke on behalf of the graduating class, which recently finished several months of courses on community leadership. The class spearheaded the Alternative Gift Fair before Christmas, raising $20,000 for local charities, an amount matched by Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.

“If we do no more, our voyage is incomplete,” said Thacker, who works at the Anderson casino. “The easy part’s done — the talking.”

LAMC Program Director Pam Shoot urged graduates to “find (your) passion,” and Executive Director Bobbette Snyder posed the question: “How and where will you serve your community?”

Scott Underwood, editor of The Herald Bulletin, is on the leadership academy’s board of directors.