Pictured are the fall 2023 graduates, as well as the presenters, of Raising the Board (RtB). The one-day, non-profit board leadership training was held on Sept. 20, at the Central PA Chamber of Commerce, Milton. In front, from left: Rachael Herb, a Central PA Chamber (CPACC) Board Member; Tina Welch, a CPACC Board Member and RtB presenter; Alisa Fairweather and Emily Hontz, both representing Donald L. Heiter Community Center (DHCC). Back: Ryan Workman, CPACC Business & Education Coordinator and RtB Program Director; Lauren McDonald, CPACC Board Member and RtB presenter; Leslie Hosterman, DHCC; Marianne Beane and Bilquis Ali, representing POWER (Professional Organization for Women’s Entrepreneurial Resilience); Amber Guerrero, Mary Spencer, Cara Glazer, Dennis Burns and Errol Carter, all representing DHCC; and Rob Jones, CPACC Board Member and RtB presenter. Not pictured are: Loni Martz-Briner, RtB presenter; and Eric Turofski, representing SUN Area Technical Institute.
MILTON – A dozen additional non-profit board leaders are now better prepared to serve community organizations across the Central PA region.
The Central PA Chamber of Commerce conducted Raising the Board (RtB), its premiere one-day board leadership training program, on Sept. 20, in the Chamber’s Ross Room. This particular class included several board members of the Donald L. Heiter Community Center (DHCC) in Lewisburg, in addition to some other non-profit representatives.
In RtB’s first five years, which included a couple of challenging years during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been 69 graduates of the program.
The course, which was designed in-house by Central PA Chamber members and staff, is held over eight hours covering the topics necessary to be a confident and productive non-profit board member. It has also been proven to be valuable for those serving on for-profit boards and in the public sector, such as a school board. Before this year, RtB was held over four weekly sessions, however, the one-day model has been a popular option for many busy “movers and shakers”.
“What I really liked about RtB, is how it broke down the different things we should be doing,” said Marianne Beane, representing POWER (Professional Organization for Women’s Entrepreneurial Resilience). “So, that we know what we’re doing is the right thing, and that we’re heading in the right direction and can create a plan moving into 2024.”
Dennis Burns, representing DHCC, said RtB will help the board refocus on their Vision and Mission statements.
“We need to rethink that a little bit and make it simpler,” he said. “Everything else is driven by that.”
The 15 topics covered throughout the day are broken down into four focus areas, called the PAAC (Practice, Act, Apply, Connect) Model. Learn more about each topic by visiting: www.centralpachamber.com/rtb.
If interested in participating in a future Raising the Board class, contact Program Director Ryan Workman at 570-742-7341 or rworkman@centralpachamber.com. RtB has been traditionally held on a semi-annual basis.
The Central PA Chamber offers its appreciation to its latest participants and presenters – each Central PA Chamber members with their own areas of expertise – as well as to the Watson Inn, Watsontown, for catering lunch during the program day, and to A+ Office Outlet, Mifflinburg, for providing the binders that hold the course materials.
