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A Computer Reuse/Recycling event has been planned for Saturday, August 9th (rain date August 16th) at the Union Township Civic Center.  Any Clermont County resident or business can drop off a computer free of charge.  When possible, used computers are refurbished, the hard drives are erased and soft ware is reloaded.  These computers ultimately end up in schools, churches, not for profit organizations and families that ordinary could not afford a computer.  Computers that cannot be refurbished and reused are completely recycled and the hard drives crushed.  Reusing or recycling computers prevents thousands of pounds of toxic electronic waste from going into our local landfills. Last year, Cincinnati Computer Cooperative sold 20 percent of the donated equipment to schools, nonprofits, students and families for under $100 per computer.  As a sponsor of "Crayons to Computers" complete computer systems are given to that organization. Computers can be dropped off at the Union Township Civic Center located at 4350 Aicholtz Road between 9 AM and Noon.  Contact Becky Ploucha, Coordinator of the Clean and Green Program, at cleanandgreen@clermont2020.org or 513-753-9222 if you need additional information.

The On Wednesday, September 17, 2008, at UC Clermont College, Student Activities Center (SAC) Building, from 6:30 - 8:30 we will celebrate a special time - for we will learn about how kids in our community view the community, what supports they are receiving, what opportunities they have and the choices they make on a variety of topics from health, how they spend their time, their commitment to learning and other positive behaviors to a variety of risk taking behaviors.

• The Asset Builders Alliance, funded by the United Way, conducted the Search Institute's Attitudes and Behaviors (Assets) survey in October 2007.  The goal was to establish a baseline for how young people are doing - to identify areas that need our attention as a community and to celebrate our strengths!
• Almost 700 7th and 11th graders from Clermont County participated.
• Research has identified 40 key building blocks or assets that all young people need to grow up healthy, caring and successful.  Nationally, kids report having 19 of the 40 necessary assets.

Learn how this information can enhance the work you're doing, increase collaboration and lead to healthier youth and healthier communities. Join the process!  Be part of shaping how this will look in our community! Come and find out how Clermont County youth are doing. Register online at www.clermont2020.org or by phone at 513-753-9222.

 

Our Harlem Ambassadors scholarship fundraiser enables us to offer scholarships to students who really stand out as having a great deal of potential for success but need some financial assistance to reach that potential.  The Last Dollar Grant is a needs-based scholarship and requires a minimum 2.5 grade point average to be eligible.  After all other financial aid resources have been tapped out, sometimes a bit more is still needed for students to meet the cost of attending college. These grants help bridge that gap to make the students' dream of attending college a reality.

There were no hats thrown in the air or screams let out, however, there was cause for great celebration as 34 leaders graduated from a yearlong leadership skill building experience in two of the leadership programs.

 

Graduating from the LEAD Clermont Class of 2008, for managers and executive leaders, were: Rick Borkowski, TQL; Sharon Cassidy, Clermont Senior Services; Lisa Davis, Clermont County MRDD; Meredith Delany, U.C. Clermont; Pete Gemmer, Mercy Hospital Clermont; Julie Graybill, Clermont Chamber of Commerce; Ryan Hall, U.C. Clermont; Mike Harp, Duke Energy; Chyrl Larbes, KeyBank; Scott Light, Pierce Township Fire Department; Jenny Matthews, Schiff, Kreidler-Shell; Dave McNutt, American Modern Insurance Group; Mary Overberg, Clark, Schaefer, Hackett and Co.; Linda Pilon, Kamphaus, Henning and Hood; Alisa Poe, The Midland Company; Adam Schlosser, Live Oaks; Mike Shumaker, Focused Quality Solutions; ME Steele-Pierce, West Clermont Local School District; April Thompson, National City Bank; Brad Toft, Kinker-Eveleigh Insurance; Susan Vilardo, Literacy Council of Clermont and Brown Counties; Cindy White, Clermont County Auditor's Office; Brenda Wilson, Miami Township; and Cory Wright, Union Township.

 

Graduating from the Senior Leadership Class of 2008, for retired and semi-retired people were: Donna Amann, Batavia; Alice Ballard, Burlington, Kentucky; Joan Ballbach, Fayetteville; Jean Gordon, Amelia; Sheila Gredig, Goshen; Sally Maynard, Goshen; Shirley Roberts, Milford; Thomas Van Brunt, Amelia; R.J. Vilardo, Milford; and Mary Weatherspoon, Bethel.

Since the beginning of leadership programs through Clermont 2001, now Clermont 20/20, individual classes have been claiming that their class was the best class.  Several years ago, it was suggested that one way to decide who the best class is was to have an individual membership drive to invest in supporting the Leadership Programs and Clermont 20/20.  The goal was to see which class had the most individual participation, 100%  would be great, and a chance for that class to holler more loudly than the others.  In other words, the percentage would be based on the number investing based on the number in their class.
 
For 2007, the best class with 29.4% of their class investing in the Leadership Programs and Clermont 20/20 was the LEAD Clermont 1998 class.  Congratulations!  In second place with 28.5% of their class investing was the Senior Leadership 2004 class. 
 
You will have another opportunity to invest beginning in September 2008 when we begin again to determine who really is the best class?

Clermont 20/20 is pleased to announce the leaders recently selected to participate in the LEAD Clermont Class of 2009.  Twenty-six leaders, representing a broad cross-section of business and industry, were selected by the Clermont 20/20 LEAD Clermont Advisory Committee and began their participation by attending an Orientation and Program Overview to prepare them for the coming year.  LEAD Clermont is designed to connect people with infrastructures and services in Clermont County, to recognize each participant's personal leadership style and to improve the quality of life in the county through active participation in team projects.  During the next ten months, this group of leaders will be teambuilding in order to find out about each of their classmates, along with learning about the economic development, government and infrastructure, health and human services, education, safety and justice, and the quality of life in Clermont County and the region.

This year's class is made up of: Carol Amrine, Golden Rule Catering; Carol Barrett, 3M Precision Optics; Bonnie Batchler; Senco Products and Pierce Township; Marvin Blade, Duke Energy; Erica Boller, Clermont County Children's Protective Services; Barbara Bradley, Batavia Local Schools; Greg Carson, Clermont Senior Services; Jeremy Coffman, The Midland Company and Clermont Connections; Drew Fink, The Lyon Group; Brad Fisher, The Midland Company; Sharon Fusco, Segue Strategies LLC; Scott Gaviglia, Union Township Police Department; Matt Gramza, Civil & Environmental Consultants; Jennifer Hartley, Clermont County Auditors Office; Tiffany Hausermann, Total Quality Logistics; Dave Jones, Clark, Schaefer, Hackett and Co.; Pat Oelrich, Dan Beard Council, Boy Scouts of America; Lee Pinkerton, The Midland Company; Julie Schultz, Mercy Hospital Clermont; Jennifer Sivak, Melink Corporation; David Smith, Melink Corporation; Sherry Spencer, Mat City Investment Co. Inc.; Susan Stockman, Horan; Tim Vasconcellos, Home Instead Senior Care; Barbara Wallace, UC Clermont College; Lee Ann Watson, Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board.
 
For more information about LEAD Clermont and/or how to get involved in the next program, contact Wayne Baughman, Director, Leadership Development at 753-9222 or go to www.clermont2020.org.

The Clermont 20/20 GRASP (Garnering Resources for Access and Success Partnership) program, coordinated by Becky Ploucha, is concluding in the community and local school district in Williamsburg. The purpose of the GRASP partnership is to align the work of college access organizations and higher education institutions throughout Clermont County to promote and support student success. GRASP has participated in numerous school and community events in Williamsburg throughout the last year including Wildcat Reunion, Activities List Contest, June in Olde Williamsburgh, Career Day, Village Council and School Board meetings. We have had contact with an amazing number of residents in Williamsburg.  Our efforts in encouraging both adults and students to pursue a post secondary education have paid off!  According to recent statistics provided by University of Cincinnati - Clermont applications from Williamsburg residents have increased by 37% from this time last year! That was our goal and we are definitely on our way to effectively raising awareness of all of the post secondary opportunities which are available throughout the county, benefiting both traditional and adult learners. In addition to Clermont 20/20, Inc., GRASP partners include Clermont County Educational Service Center, Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development, Ohio College TechPrep - Greater Cincinnati Consortium, Southwest Ohio Educational Opportunity Center, TRIO Educational Talent Search, TRIO Upward Bound, and University of Cincinnati - Clermont College.
 
GRASP is funded by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Greater Cincinnati Foundation - Clermont Fund and the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN).
 
To learn more about the GRASP program contact Becky Ploucha, GRASP Program Coordinator, at grasp@clermont2020.org or 513-753-9222.

As a graduate from a Clermont 20/20, Inc. leadership program, if you have an announcement you would like to share with fellow alum, please send your information to officemgr@clermont2020.org.

This effort is brought to you by the LEAD Class of 2008. 

 

 

Remember all those wonderful times with LEAD Clermont classmates around the campfire at JOY?  You can support the Class of 2009 - and encourage them along with some heartfelt humor toward their much-anticipated ropes adventure the next morning. Be kind, though!

Mark Friday, August 15, 5:30 PM on your calendars.
Call your classmates and carpool up.

If you join us for dinner, we need to know by Friday, August 8, and the cost of dinner is $20.  Join us for the campfire, and it's as our guest!  Please RSVP your intentions to attend, so we can plan accordingly for the refreshments! RSVP by calling 513-753-9222 or by e-mail at leadership@clermont2020.org.

 

For most people, work is a job.  For leaders, it's much much more. 
 
Leaders are separated from followers by what drives them, a distinction that is the source of some degree of loneliness.  Leaders have a greater sense of urgency than their followers.  They are more active about seeing and doing something about problems and opportunities.  They care more about outcomes.  They cherish the opportunity to make a difference through accomplishing their objectives.
 

Reference: Smith, A.F. (2007, p. 132-133).  The taboos of leadership: the 10 secrets no one will tell you about leaders and what they really think.  San Francisco:  John Wiley & Sons.

 

Wilmington-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce is very excited and pleased to announce that they will be sponsoring "The Disney Keys to Excellence. The attached brochure describes "The Disney Keys to Excellence" on Tuesday, September 16.  Wayne Baughman, Director, Leadership Development, "This is an excellent program and I encourage you to spread the word." Select here for the event registration brochure.

 

 

Learn how to Cleanse and strengthen your Body and Spirit, Share Ideas, Swap Recipes, Relax, Learn how to Save Money Freezing and Canning your own Fruits and Vegetables - on Saturday, August 2, 2008 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Moscow Community Center, 30 Wells Street. Admission is Free. For more information call 513-553-4200.

 

 

• Sunday, August 10th - 2:00 PM - Jewelry Knots. Learn some fancy jewelry knots then make your own beaded keychain using the techniques you just learned.
• Sunday, September 14th - 2:00 PM - Composing a Photo. It takes more than just pointing the camera to create a good photo.  Pick up a few tips that will help you create better images.  Bring your camera!

 

 

 

 

The Ohio Healthy Families Act, also known as the Mandated Sick Leave Act, could potentially be one of the most important statewide ballot initiatives on this November's ballot.

 

To help you learn more about the possible impact this proposed legislation could have on yours and all Ohio businesses the Chamber will host a free presentation by the Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 10 AM to noon, at the Chamber.

Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits is a committee representing a broad coalition of individual employers, trade associations and businesses organizations. It intends to educate voters about the devastating effects the proposed state mandate will have on individual employers, their workers and the Ohio economy.

The Chamber has taken the position that the Mandated Sick Leave Act is anything but healthy for Ohio's businesses, in particular, small businesses. It leaves open many questions that will turn this Act into a financial burden on businesses and the State of Ohio. If passed by voters in November, Ohio will be the only state in the nation with this law, which allows for punitive legal action for non-compliance.

When and where: Aug. 12, 10 AM-noon, at the Chamber, 300 Carew Tower, 441 Vine St., Cincinnati.  Cost: Free to members.

Visit the chamber website at www.cincinnatichamber.com to register for the presentation or the webinar.