The Lead LaSalle program was represented at the Jena Fall Festival Oct. 8 in a scarecrow contest in which contestants made a representation of what their small business does. Pilcher made four scarecrows, one for each town involved in Lead LaSalle. (Photo by Cynthia Pilcher)

Graduates seated left to right: Amanda Carpenter, Terri Corley, Lillian Powell, Mary Ann Thompson, Marie Lizana. Second row left to right: Margie McDaniel, Murphy McMillin, Sharron Arbogast, Dawn Stott, Dean Cockerham, Erin Shaw, Patricia Hefner. Third row left to right: Walter Dorroh, Aaron Carpenter, Al Cassels, James King, Jeffrey Gorman, Joe Thompson, L.J. Rachal, Jason Chisolm. (Photo by Cynthia Pilcher)

News Release Distributed 10/10/11

JENA, La. – Nineteen LaSalle Parish residents and elected officials have graduated from Lead LaSalle, a leadership and community development program of the LSU AgCenter and the LaSalle Economic Development District.

Participants completed four three-hour classes in leadership training Sept. 27 conducted by Cynthia Pilcher, LSU AgCenter agent, in Jena, Olla, Urania and Tullos.

The curriculum is designed to increase the leadership knowledge and skills of elected officials, community leaders and volunteers and encourages more collaboration and communication, Pilcher said.

“Graduates will become more engaged in community decision making at the local, parish and regional level to enhance community rural development,” Pilcher said.

Class participants included mayors, aldermen, town clerks, school board members and pastors. Similar classes have been conducted in Tensas, Union, Bienville, Richland and Concordia parishes, Pilcher said.

“The group was encouraged to identify issues and create a plan to strengthen community economic development,” Pilcher said. “They targeted creation of a parishwide chamber of commerce, websites and coming together as one. Other projects that the group suggested working on included a parishwide cleanup campaign and quarterly meetings of elected officials.”

Pilcher said the cities operate independently, and she encouraged them to maintain their identity, but work as a group.

The Lead LaSalle program will be taught again in February. A Lead LaSalle 2 program for graduates will be conducted next summer and Lead LaSalle 3 is also being discussed.

“One hundred percent of Lead LaSalle participants agreed or strongly agreed that this leadership series is a good tool for community development, was a good learning experience and would recommend this seminar to others,” Pilcher added.