LSI graduates 30th class while celebrating 30th anniversary

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Thirty-four community leaders graduated as part of Leadership Southern Indiana’s class of 2012 in May. Submitted photo
Past Leadership Southern Indiana board chairpersons were on hand for the 30th anniversary of the program. Submitted photo

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June 14, 2012

LSI graduates 30th class while celebrating 30th anniversary

NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Thu Jun 14, 2012, 07:53 PM EDT

> SOUTHERN INDIANA — LSI had two reasons to celebrate Thursday evening, May 10, at Kye’s in Jeffersonville. This year marked the 30th year of LSI’s existence. Charter members from the first graduating class of 1982 were on hand to present current graduates with diplomas. The class of 2012 consisted of 34 community leaders. Past board chairs were also recognized for their commitment and dedication to LSI.

“Successful leaders are armed with a toolbox,” said guest speaker Christine Johnson, past president of Leadership Louisville Center. Johnson spoke about the qualities and characteristics, such as optimism, passion, curiosity, and determination that must be in that toolbox. She encouraged her audience to always be thinking about how they can enhance their leadership skills and explained that many leadership styles are needed to make a great community.

The class of 2012 representative, Paul Kichler, spoke of his experience. “Our class can be summed up with one word – FUN,” Kichler said. “As the year began to speed by, we realized we didn’t want to wait another month to see each other again, so we began meeting on our own to continue the smiles and laughter. Our social committee has continued to plan events well past today to keep the good times rolling.” Kichler said regionalism was a topic that rung throughout the year. The class discovered that to become a thriving community, we must collaborate and cooperate with our neighbors. The class recognized the need to galvanize relationships with community leaders in all areas of our region in order to assist in creating a prosperous town, city, county, state and region.

Kichler, who is vice president of Children and Family Services at Goodwill of Southern Indiana, concluded by saying that the LSI program has prepared the class of 2012 to answer when opportunity knocks and become even stronger leaders for the good of our region.