 
In the spring of 1985, a group of concerned Lake County citizens met to discuss their concern and perceived need for the development of the leadership potential in Lake County. Historically, a small nucleus of conscientious volunteers in Lake County was expected to assume most of the leadership responsibilities. A shortage existed of volunteers available to assume many of the important positions on the boards of civic, community, social, and welfare organizations. The long-time volunteers in our community were either retiring, moving out of the county or arriving at a point in their lives where they wanted to limit their volunteer participation in community based activities.
As a result, a group of civic-minded citizens decided to form an ad hoc committee to develop a plan to assure the community there would always be a cadre of volunteers prepared and ready to assume these leadership responsibilities.
Mr. Richard H. Gehring, one of the founders of Leadership Lake County said the volunteers were getting "long of tooth" and it was time to seek relief . He said the committee agreed Lake County needed a vehicle to tap the resources of the intelligent, aggressive, interested, articulate and committed citizens who were a vital part of the community. They realized monetary support was necessary but alone would no longer suffice and therefore made a plea for individuals to step forward by committing a substantial amount of their time, effort and expertise to get the job done. With the early assistance of neighboring community leadership programs, the committee evolved into a board of trustees that drafted a code of regulations and employed an executive director.
Leadership Lake County's mission statement, simple but powerful, has been the guiding light since the programs inception and reads as follows: Leadership Lake County prepares and engages individuals to exercise leadership in the economic, social and civic development of our county.
The Leadership Lake County Board of Trustees is proud to announce that over five-hundred well informed leaders have gone through the program and currently serve on many of the non-profit boards and task forces throughout the county. In addition, the board is equally proud of the over two hundred high school juniors who have completed the youth program during its first years. The students come from all the area high schools serving Lake County. They come together monthly to learn about the county's history, assets, needs and challenges. Following their Leadership Lake County experience, they are encouraged to take the lessons back to their respective schools and share the information they gleaned.
Leadership Lake County is privileged to be an integral part of this dynamic county and expresses deep appreciation to its many supporters throughout the community |
