Leadership Washington County marks 35th anniversary with celebratory events

Graduates enjoy a Farm to Table dinner. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Leadership Washington County concluded the graduate programming for the 2021-22 year with a farm-to-table dinner in May at the beautiful Stoney

Creek Farm in Boonsboro. Chef BJ

Damskey, owner of Diparma Farms in Fairplay, created and prepared a fabulous nine-course meal, complete with beer/wine pairings from Cushwa

Brewing Co., Cool Ridge Vineyard and

Big Cork Vineyards. All the ingredients used in the dinner were sourced in Washington County.

Of course, no dinner is complete without dessert, perfectly complemented with coffee pour-overs from

River Bottom Roasters. We are grateful for the sponsorship of this event by

Visit Hagerstown-Washington County

Convention & Visitors Bureau, which enhanced our celebration of farms in Washington County.

LWC would like to thank Leslie Hart for all her support and guidance in bringing our vision to fruition.

On June 3, the culmination of our 35th anniversary was celebrated with a happy hour for all graduates

Place settings at Stoney Creek Farm.

The main dish.

Class 35 at 1812 Brewery. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Cushwa Happy Hour.

Class 33 at Cushwa Happy Hour.

Class 35 at closing retreat. and Class 35 at Cushwa Brewing Co. in Williamsport. We were excited to see such a wonderful turnout with so many classes represented by graduates. Everyone enjoyed the beer and delicious pizzas from Rad Pies. It was lovely to chat, catch up and connect with all those who attended.

As we closed out our 35th anniversary, Class 35 ended the program year with a board governance session led by board member Tereance Moore. Following the session, the class participated in a nonprofit expo, where members were able to engage with the executive directors of several community nonprofits in hopes of finding a good fit for them to give back and serve the community.

On June 10, the class traveled to Rocky Gap Casino Resort for its highly anticipated closing retreat. The class engaged in reflection activities to debrief their class days and commit to giving back to our community post-graduation. They then celebrated their graduation at 1812 Brewery in Cumberland, Md. Congratulations, Class 35!

Saying goodbye to Class 35 means we are also welcoming Class 36.

Leadership Washington County received a record-breaking number of applications for the Class of 2023, the 36th class. We are excited to begin the new program year in September with 41 class members who will convene at Rocky Gap Casino Resort for their two-day opening retreat. To see a list of the LWC Class of 2023, go to leadershipwashingtoncounty.org/class-36.

For the second year, LWC will expose class members to five regions of Washington County by traveling to and learning from leaders from Hancock to Hagerstown, Boonsboro to Cascade, and many municipalities in between.

Graduate programming for the upcoming year will follow the new regional format and highlight each of the five regions of Washington County. Our first member event will be at Fort Ritchie, where graduates will explore the property and learn about the redevelopment of the area from owner John Krumpotich. There are also plans to spend a day learning about cultural connections with the team from Shepherd’s Spring Camp and Resort Center in Sharpsburg.

In addition, we are planning to bring back a few of our favorite events, including the Best Lunch Ever, LWC Presents Series and a trivia night.

Many exciting things are on the horizon for Leadership Washington County!

Written by Tara Bockstanz Director of graduate engagement Leadership Washington County