Beall Team Connections: Leadership Jefferson

Leadership Jefferson: “Earn a ‘Masters Degree’ in Jefferson County”

For nearly two decades, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce has run a special program to “Develop a diverse network of dedicated business and community leaders.” It’s called “Leadership Jefferson” and you can read more about it here. 

Josh is a Leadership Jefferson alumni and Jess has nearly completed her 10 month program. Over this past year, Jess has met with business and community leaders from across the county during her monthly, day-long class sessions. Touring offices, government buildings, community centers and local businesses has been “an honor and a lot of fun!” Here’s a small sampling of some of the places Jess has visited so far: Macy's Distribution Center, the 911 Center, Horses with Hearts, the Contemporary American Theater, Hollywood Casino, Hospice of the Panhandle, and Summit Point Motorsports Park. In February, the whole class of 17 students traveled to Charleston, WV, the state's capitol city, to meet with lawmakers! Jess’s class (XVII), is most proud of their project to help revitalize a park in Harpers Ferry, which you can read about here. 

Josh similarly has fond memories of his time in the program. Some of the highlights that have stuck with him include his trip to Charleston, learning more about the various state agencies, discovering more about the larger employers in the panhandle (manufacturing, distribution centers, etc.). As a small business owner himself, Josh thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet a lot of other panhandle entrepreneurs, discovering their businesses, and hearing about their plans and dreams. A long time WV resident himself, Josh was surprised to discover just how much is actually happening in the panhandle–it’s even more than most people realize! For their class project, Josh and his fellow students organized and pulled off a special collection drive for Kidz Power Pac, a supplemental weekend food program that serves over a thousand children in Berkeley and Jefferson counties. You can visit their website and learn more about the ministry here.

Ropes course fun!

Jefferson County Sheriffs Dept CSI van.

"First time?"

Visiting magistrate court.

Touring Harpers Ferry.

Argos cement plant.

Charleston WV.