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2017 Leadership Door County Class Completes 10-Month Program

Twelve committed individuals representing Door County government, businesses and nonprofit organizations completed the 2016-2017 Leadership Door County program. On June 17, a commencement ceremony was held at Crossroads at Big Creek, marking the end of the intensive 10-month program. Leadership Door County President Dawn VandeVoort also presented the Leaders Among Us Award to Lori Vorpahl, an active board member and volunteer of numerous nonprofit organizations in the county.

Throughout the year, class participants learn about a wide variety of topics pertinent to life on the peninsula. They meet with leaders from various sectors of the community to hear about the issues impacting the county and get first-hand experience in many of those areas. An important aspect of the program is the class project. Class members agree upon a project that will benefit the Door County community, and design, develop and implement the project. This year’s class project was to raise money and awareness for a K-9 dog and the beginning of the Crime Prevention Fund with the Door County Community Foundation.

The LDC class took a three-part approach to raising funds: a personal appeal to each class member’s personal and professional networks; participation in the Baileys Harbor Scottie Rally; and grant writing. To recognize donations, members acquired plush versions of a K9 dog with a vest sporting the logo for the Crime Prevention Fund, which was designed by one of the class members. During the course of the project, the class added a fourth component – plush dogs were donated to each middle school and high school in the county to raise awareness of drug and alcohol abuse.

“All these efforts have generated great success,” said class representative Megan Dietz. “Our class is directly responsible for the donation of $11,700 and a grant of $3,500 from United Way, for a total of $15,200. This fall, for the first time in 30 years, Door County will have its own K9 unit. As a class, we felt the K9 unit would be a great addition to our community and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Members of the 2016-2017 Leadership Door County class are: Tree Delarwelle, Door County Medical Center; Megan Dietz, ReStore and Habitat for Humanity; Marissa Goetz, Nicolet Bank; Kinga Jacobsen, Silver Lake College of the Holy Family; Barbara Johnson-Giese, Door County Medical Center’s outpatient behavioral health program; Donna Johnson, The Ridges Sanctuary; Crista Kochanski, Wood Orchard Market; Aaron LeClair, Deputy Director of the Door County Fire Department; Danielle Nyman, Door County Human Services; Maggie Peterman, Door County YMCA, Write On, Door County, and the Northern Door Rotary Club; Brad Shortreed, Door County Sheriff’s Department and owner of Fatzo’s Subs; and Katie Smullen, United Way of Door County.

For more information visit leadershipdoorcounty.com.

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