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New Leadership Orleans class starts year with mission to learn more about their community

Photos by Tom Rivers: Front row, from left: Amanda Nash, Alyssa Thomas, Jillian Peracciny, Becky Manfreda, Wendy Cruz, Alishia Foss, Jami Allport, Riki Lake, Trishia Allen, Marcy Boyce, Corey Winters and Kristine Mostyn. Back row: Valerie Wells, Quinton VerCruysee, Bryce Wilson, Nick Wetherwax, Ryan Lasal, Michael Weller, Abby Smith, Aeddon Cayea, Kevin Neureuter Jr., Tyler Baker, Jodi Fisher, Candace Casey, Alana Palone, Randy Heslor, Tim Ingrassia and Marissa Bell.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 January 2025 at 7:31 pm

ALBION – A new class of the Leadership Orleans program kicked off a year of learning about the county and themselves with a two-day opening retreat on Thursday and Friday.

There are 28 members of the class representing several sectors in the community, including agriculture, education, human services, government, business and volunteerism

The program aims to build the “citizen capital” of the community, helping develop leaders who are educated on the many facets of the community.

The class in the opening retreat at Hoag Library did many ice-breaker activities to get to know each other. They also learned about their individual strengths and weaknesses, their personality types and how that shapes their decision-making and tendencies.

Skip Helfrich, executive director of Leadership Orleans since the program started in 2018, discusses different leadership styles during the opening retreat on Thursday. Some of those styles include dominant controller, cautious analytical, influencing promoter, and steadfast supporter.

The class meets monthly, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and meeting people from many different sectors in the community. The class will spend different days focused on agriculture, non-profit organizations, government services, small and larger businesses, law enforcement, tourism, arts and culture, community health and economic development.

The group typically visits about 40 sites around the county and hears from about 50 presenters.

The program receives a stipend from the county, and there are many sponsors of programs throughout the years. The class members also pay tuition to be in Leadership Orleans.

This year’s class members include:

  • Trisha Allen, project director for UConnectCare Behavioral Health Services in Albion
  • Jami Allport, executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern
  • Tyler Baker, technical resource manager for Lake Ontario Fruit in Albion
  • Marissa Bell, social scientist for U.S. Department of Energy
  • Marcy Boyce, office manager for Arc GLOW in Albion
  • Candace Casey, coordinator of work-based learning at Iroquois Job Corps in Shelby
  • Aeddon Cayea, deputy director of United Way of Orleans County
  • Wendy Cruz, manager of ACT, a program of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
  • Jodi Fisher, program director for GO Art!
  • Alishia Foss, resource specialist for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
  • Randy Heslor, production supervisor for The Print Shop in Medina
  • Tim Ingrassia, operational excellence manager for Baxter Healthcare
  • Riki Lake, logistics/finance for CHPC in Medina
  • Ryan Lasal, director of programming for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
  • Becky Manfreda, assistant superintendent of instruction for Albion Central School
  • Kristine Mostyn, director of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina
  • Amanda Nash, transportation director for Western New York Energy
  • Kevin Neureuter Jr., director of IT for Orleans County
  • Alana Palone, clinic administrator for Orleans Community Health
  • Jillian Peracciny, public information assistant for Orleans/Niagara BOCES
  • Abby Smith, literacy director for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County
  • Alyssa Thomas, clinic/SPOA coordinator for Orleans County Mental Health Clinic
  • Quinton VerCruysee, equipment operations manager for Orchard Dale Fruit Company in Carlton
  • Michael Weller, library assistant at Hoag Library in Albion
  • Valerie Wells, volunteer in Lyndonville community
  • Nick Wetherwax, senior director technical solutions at Info Advantage Inc. in Rochester
  • Bryce Wilson, farmer with Panek Farms in Albion
  • Corey Winters, director of Orleans County Department of Planning and Development