Third class in Leadership Orleans starts a busy new year
Photo by Tom Rivers: The 2020 Leadership Orleans class is pictured on Wednesday during an opening retreat at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. Pictured, front row, from left: Danielle Figura, Nick Picardo, Lisa Levett, Nancy Traxler, Scott Partyka, Alona Kuhns, Jackie Gardner, Ronald Mannella, Teresa Gaylard and Kristina Gabalski. Back row: Kenneth DeRoller, Melissa Cotter, Michelle Kingdollar, Karen Krieger, Taryn Moyle, Jennifer Buondonno, Heather Smith, Allison Parry-Gurak, Julia Goheen, Christopher Oakes, Michael Weyrauch, Dean Bellack, Tiffany Nesbitt, Matt Minor, Nancy Westlund, Cory Pawlaczyk and Lionel Heydel.
LYNDONVILLE – The third class for Leadership Orleans started this past week with a two-day retreat at the White Birch Golf Course.
The program started in 2018. Each year about 25 community members participate in the program. They meet monthly and will typically spend a full day examining an aspect of the county, and hearing from leaders in different industries, businesses, human services, education and other sectors of the community.
Participants pay a tuition for the program, which also receives $16,000 in funding from the county, as well as many sponsors.
The two-day retreat included several ice breakers to help the class get better acquainted, a personality profile awareness, and discussion about servant leadership.
In coming months the class will have days focused on legislative affairs in February, an adventure leadership day in March, community health in April, education in May, business and culture in June, tourism and recreation in July, agribusiness in August, economic and workforce development in September, simulated society in October, volunteerism in November, and a closing retreat and graduation in December.
Skip Helfrich is the director of Leadership Orleans. He is shown going over a personality profile awareness during the opening retreat for Leadership Orleans at the White Birch Golf Course.
The 2020 class includes:
- Dean Bellack, Executive Director, United Way of Orleans County
- Jennifer Buondonno, Teller Supervisor/CSR, Tompkins Bank of Castile
- Melissa Cotter, Director of Vocational Services, Arc of Genesee Orleans
- Kenneth DeRoller, County legislator and board member for the County of Orleans Industrial Development Agency
- Danielle Figura, Clinic Coordinator, Orleans County Mental Health
- Kristina Gabalski, 4-H Program Coordinator, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Jackie Gardner, Vice President of Client Relations, CRFS – Claims Recovery Financial Services
- Teresa Gaylard, Children’s Librarian, Hoag Library
- Julia Goheen, Quality Associate III, Baxter Healthcare
- Lionel Heydel, Chef, Bent’s Opera House
- Michelle Kingdollar, Controller, Western New York Energy
- Karen Krieger, Academic Advisor/Adjunct Faculty, GCC Medina Campus
- Alona Kuhns, Technical Trainer, Baxter Healthcare
- Lisa Levett, Office Manager, Kludt Brothers, Inc.
- Ronald Mannella, Director of Weights and Measures, Orleans County
- Matt Minor, Senior Loan Officer, Farm Credit East
- Taryn Moyle, Child Care Resource and Referral Program Director, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, Inc.
- Tiffany Nesbitt, Ambassador, Bent’s Opera House
- Christopher Oakes, Production Manager/Vice President, LynOaken Farms, Inc.
- Allison Parry-Gurak, Director of Treatment, Albion Clinic, GCASA
- Scott Partyka, Farmer/Partner, Partyka Farms
- Cory Pawlaczyk, Buyer, Baxter Healthcare
- Nick Picardo, Executive Director of Student Services, Kendall Central School District
- Heather Smith, Executive Director, Orleans Community Health Foundation
- Nancy Traxler, Director, Orleans County Veterans Service Agency
- Nancy Westlund, Vice President of Operations, CRFS – Claims Recovery Financial Services
- Michael Weyrauch, Director of Career & Technical Education and Instructional Services, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
