SPOTLIGHT ON LEADERSHIP
30 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP TROUP A
n idea took root 30 years ago and today continues to branch out into a second generation. This year, Leadership Troup celebrates 30 years of educating local professionals about issues and concerns of the community. Sponsored by LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Troup is a ten-month program that includes leadership modules as well as sessions focused on local government, social issues, health care, education, tourism and more. Bill and Helen Rice participated in Leadership Georgia and when they moved to LaGrange, pitched the idea in their new community. “We found Leadership Georgia to be most informative. We visited towns across the state and learned about education, government, health care, community service and other issues,” Helen Rice recalled. The couple helped start a similar program in south Georgia and wanted to do the same in Troup County. They found a willing and supportive community and in 1991 helped with the inaugural class. However, they don’t take credit for its long tenure. “When something lasts this long, there are good people behind it,” she said.
This year, two members of the 2021 Leadership Troup class are following in their parents footsteps. Kim Myers, director of Get Troup Reading, remembers her mother, Peggy Lukken, participating in one of the early groups. “I remember her talking about it, going to the events and visiting around town. She was very involved in the community and it meant a lot to her,” Myers said. The concept hasn’t changed much according to Peggy Lukken, who was a social worker at West Georgia Medical Center when she participated in Leadership Troup. “Our first session was out at a farm near the lake. We did the team building exercises and got to know each other. Then we visited the different areas we learned about,” Lukken said. “The value of it for me was to see and get to know the resources we have in LaGrange. It was very helpful to me in my work.” For Myers, being able to participate was not only helpful in her position with Get Troup Reading, but it also was a way to connect with her mother’s experience. “I’ve always followed the stories about Leadership Troup because I remember mom doing it. I wasn’t able to participate because I was a teacher in the school system. I’m so glad to be participating and I’m learning so much. Even living here the majority of my life, I’m learning a lot I never knew about Troup County.”
Kim Myers, her mother Peggy Lukken, and her two daughters Anna & Sophie both of whom are Youth Leadership Graduates. Brandon Solomon has a similar story. His father, Ellis Solomon, was in the first Leadership Troup class in 1991. “I’ve traveled my entire career and I never was able to participate in Leadership Troup,” said Solomon, a business development consultant in Physician Relations at Wellstar. “Then in 2020 I started working at Wellstar out of LaGrange and I was nominated to be in the program. There’s a lot that goes on in Troup County that you don’t really know about. I want to know about it and I want to know how I can help and make a difference.” In the current class, Solomon was a little surprised to discover he didn’t know most of his classmates. “There was one in the group that I really knew. I think it’s great I’m meeting more individuals in my city. “I love LaGrange and Troup County and I’m honored to continue the family tradition in Leadership Troup,” he said.
Brandon & Ellis Solomon www.lagrangechamber.com
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