2024-2025 Leadership Chippewa Falls Community Projects

As this year’s Leadership Chippewa Falls program is culminating, we would like to share some highlights from the year and offer a glimpse into this program for anyone who might be considering applying.

Chippewa Falls Area has been fortunate in having excellent leadership from its businesses and various other segments of the community throughout the years.  But our area, like any other, continually experiences issues due to the constant influences of change and growth. How these issues are managed depends largely upon informed, skilled, and concerned community leaders.  The Leadership Chippewa Falls program offers a way to ensure that the tradition of strong leadership continues in the Chippewa Falls area.

During this program year participants were exposed to a different sector of the Chippewa Falls community every month and had opportunities to meet key leaders.  During the Orientation Session, each individual completed a personality assessment and learned about communication styles.  Speakers during the Quality of Life and Business sessions had such a lifelong depth of knowledge of our local history and experiences to share that it was often a challenge to fit it all in during the limited time allotted. 

Members of this class were also fortunate to get inside the doors of some of our area’s unique businesses – including W.S. Darley & Co. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise – and learn about products they provide for the rest of the world. Tours of the Wissota Hydro Dam, the Chippewa County Jail, and the Mayo air ambulance helicopter left lasting impressions on the participants.  

      

       

While the program acquaints participants with a broad understanding of issues and civic challenges facing our community, those in the class are given the opportunity to dig deeper to identify and tackle one issue, working in small groups to come up with a solution. The Community Impact Projects that were presented by this year’s class were outstanding and inspiring. 

1. Tools for Tomorrow – Solomon Abebayehu, Amanda Normand, Justin Troyan, and Angela Kapp partnered with local businesses to create and provide STEM activities and programming for local youth, utilizing the new PlaySpace at the YMCA. This project, focused on skilled trades and hands-on learning, included a very cool 3D-printed activity kit.

2. Chippewa Area Youth Community Education & Engagement (CAYCEE) – Josh Beaudette, Amanda Schemenauer, John Kreiner, and Autum Neuville developed a Leadership program for youth in the Chippewa Valley to engage students and encourage volunteering. Students can make connections with peers from other schools and communities and become more aware of civic issues.  The program would be funded by sponsorships and donations and would include 30-40 students, grades 10&11, who can apply or be nominated by someone who sees potential in them.

3. CVHBF Scholarship – Lori Davis, Tyler Sperry, Jordan Mooney, and Liz Thon recognized a need for skilled trade professionals and aimed to support the future of local building industry. The group worked with the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Foundation to create a scholarship program and raised money and awarded three $500 scholarships.

4. Spirit of St Joseph’s Community Garden – Barb Glenz, Ray Franko, Amanda Nelson, and Ken Pearson helped to restore a community garden that had been on hospital land in a new spot on CVTC property. Teaming up with many partners, they project that over 3,000 pounds of fresh produce will be donated to Chippewa County food pantries and kitchens annually.

5. Elevate: Leaders of the Chippewa Valley – Stacey Marcum, Kyle Larson, Courtney Ricci, and Chase Hoople put together a vision for “Where Vision Meets Action,” a one-day Leadership Conference. The detailed agenda for the conference included well-known speakers and topics that included Education, Networking, Work/Life Balance, and Communication.

6. Starting Point – Amanda Christensen, Chad Schara, and Rolly Enderes came up with a way to provide assistance for individuals and families moving to the area, as well as current residents, to give info about community resources and offerings. This resource guide, centrally located in one area or website for easy access, will include info about food, mental health, transportation, handyman/home services, housing assistance, education, mentoring, employment resources, senior services, childcare, legal, and more.

7. Blessing Box – Joe Ryder, Alex Swanson, Casey Schumacher, and April Holty created a new “Blessing Box” to serve as a mini-pantry for essential needs items. Anyone who needs a little extra help is welcome to take items inside the box any time. The box will include personal care items, socks, shelf stable foods, toilet paper, etc. and will be located at Our Hope Lutheran Church near Chippewa Manor.

Each of these groups recognized a need or challenge and came up with an idea about how they could work together to make a difference.  As a result of their leadership experience, these graduates are more knowledgeable and are better equipped to make key decisions affecting their own organizations, the community and themselves.  

Well done, Leadership Class of 2025!