According to promotional materials, "The LMC program (is) designed to identify, motivate, and develop community leaders through education and skills development, involving sessions taught by currently established leaders in Marshall County government, education, economics development, arts, tourism, health and human services, and criminal justice."

Class I of Leadership Marshall County had 18 participants who met half-day one afternoon a month from September 1995 to May 1996.

The nine-month program begins each year with a weekend retreat at the Swan Lake Resort, where facilitators from the Indiana Leadership Association helped introduce the concept of community trusteeship and focused on developing a "vision for preferred future for Marshall County."

In May, the last half-day session is followed by an evening graduation ceremony with a keynote speaker.

Within the first couple of years, the steering committee and produced a set of by-laws and LMC was officially put under the umbrella of the United Way and the Community Foundation.

The president of each, or a designate, sits on the LMC steering committee.

LMC quickly began to profit from the effort as alumni from the first classes began to fill slots on the steering committee, while putting their training to practical use as members of non-profit boards and agencies throughout the county. 

Alumni also quickly began returning to subsequent classes as presenters and speakers on topics in which they had expertise.

Elliott cited two examples in Bremen, where the town's meter technician and the electric superintendent each went through the program.  Elliott sees a growth and confidence in each.  The program has benefited them personally and professionally, which, in turn, is paying dividends for Bremen.

In addition to the volunteer effort, new organizations were created "as a direct result of people in the class who perceived a need.  That was something we hadn't thought of at a time," Gibson said.

Two excellent examples are Habitat for Humanity and Hearts and Hands.  Class I classmates Kurt Garner and John Vialard started Habitat for Humanity of Marshall County, sharing the 1999 Distinguished Leadership Award from the LMC Board.  Tony (Class V) and Mary (VI) Wood of Bourbon developed Heart and Hands, Inc., a multi-cultural organization which helps individuals adapt to life in the community and the U.S. with offices in Bourbon and Plymouth.

Since its inception, LMC has continued to evolve, though "eighty percent of it is the same as day one," Honzik said.

"We tried to be responsive to the issues facing the county.  We've always tweaked and refocused the topics, and that has helped to maintain interest," said Shustowski, who served as chairman of the steering committee from 1996-2002 before moving on to become vice president for the University Advancement with the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, where he promptly got involved with his fourth leadership program.

One of those tweaks was the addition of "agriculture, a major industry in the county," Colvin said.  The agriculture session includes information on how important farming is to Marshall County, how farming has changed over the years, and includes visits to farms and ag-related businesses, such as Pioneer Hybrid International.

"The emphasis on individual topics changes from year to year depending on who the speaker is," Gibson said.  "Feedback is positive from participants," he said, "and the initial retreat remains critical to getting people focused."

The first five years "we had to shake the bushes and twist arms for candidates," Honzik said.  But as the number of alumni has grown, the success of Leadership Marshall County became its own best public relations tool.  Gibson said about half of the students are referrals from former students, but that filling each class remains a challenge.

With 22 participants currently in Class IX, the number of graduates will soon total 145.  There are 70 people on the prospect list for the 24 spots available for Class X in 2005.

"It's been an exciting 10 years," said Honzik, who is already starting to think about an appropriate way to celebrate Leadership Marshall County's first decade.

"Every class has a personality," said Honzik, who laments the fact that he has "sat through more of these classes than anyone else, and I'll never graduate. But I learn something new every year.  I love it.  It's fascinating."

Class I, of course, "were the guinea pigs, and they came out of it with a great experience."  Class VIII continues to get together as a group the first Friday of each month for lunch, he said proudly.

"It has paid off.  That's what it is all about.  It has produced the results of the vision," Honzik said, rattling off the names of the LMC alumni who have become involved with everything from Crossroads Academy and the Culver Chamber of Commerce to Hearts and Hands and Habitat for Humanity, and everything in between. 

Looking back at the nine successful years, Shutowski said on of the major benefits is that participants "become familiar on a first-hand basis with the issues facing a community-social services, education, economic, and governmental.  They have the opportunity of hearing from (presenters) who are dealing with it daily," he said.

"Secondly, networking has always been a benefit, to be part of a group that you wouldn't normally socialize or interact with," especially when it brings together people from different and diverse segments of the county. 

"And we always attempt to have some skills development-getting to know yourself, developing leadership skill, organizational skills, and group dynamics," he said.

"It's brought a lot of good people out of hiding who didn't think they were a leader," Colvin said.  "It lets an individual find out they have some talents they didn't realize.

John Buxton, Head of Schools at Culver Academies and the current chair of the steering committee, sees several parallels between the prep boarding school and the LMC.

"Part of helping individuals understand the commitment to leadership is giving them the tools to lead.  Some of them-from either environment-never saw themselves as leaders," Buxton said.

There are several changes in the works for LMC as leaders continue to tweak and refine the program.  Buxton and future participants will play a more active role in the content development of the individual sessions, and there will be more reflective time provided for students to discuss and react to what they've seen, heard, and experienced.  And "we will be ensuring that anyone who goes through the program has an opportunity to serve," Buxton said.

Among the challenges facing Leadership Marshall County is whether to remain a half-day session once a week for nine months or go to a full day.  The students say there's not enough time, but a half-day "is about the optimum, but it is a challenge," Gibson said. 

"It's difficult for small owner-operators to take a half-day off once a month and shut the door," Buxton said. "I am very impressed at the level of commitment people make to the program, and to see how much fun they have."

"Generous people have helped perpetuate this program," Honzik said.  Stalwart support-participation as well as financial and philosophical-from the outset has come from 1st Source Bank, Culver Academies, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, and the Bremen, Culver, and Plymouth Community Schools.

A scholarship endowment created by Will and June Erwin of Bourbon provides the $300 tuition for one participant a year.  Since 2001, the MCCF grants committee has been providing $2,500 for scholarships, at the discretion of the steering committee, and for expenses. 

Gibson said the key to continued success "is a strong sponsorship and coordinating committee, and a need to continue to identify good qualified students."

"It takes leadership to build leadership," Colvin said.  "Leadership Marshall County is on the right track."

"It has found its niche.  Students feel now like it is an honor to be asked to participate.  And I've seen the results on the Red Cross, the United Way, and on other boards," Bieghler said.

"It's doing exactly what it was designed to do, and it's picking up steam."