The most recent graduates of Leadership Alexandria put their newly honed skills to work by volunteering to help the women and children at WINGS Transitional Housing to plant a garden and remove weedy landscaping rock from the back border of the apartment house.

Leadership Alexandria is a leadership development program through the Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Alexandria Technical & Community College's Customized Training Center. It is sponsored in part by West Central Initiative through its Community Leadership Program Grant.

The group removed more than three truckloads of landscaping rock to make room for not one but two vegetable gardens, plus a flower garden.  "One garden has corn, sunflowers, and vegetables and fruit like squash, cucumbers, watermelon, and pumpkins. The other has everything else – carrots, radishes, onions, tomatoes of many kinds, kohlrabi, peppers of many kinds, lettuce, Swiss chard and more," said Leadership Alexandria grad Ruth Malloy, TITLE. "Bordering that garden are marigold flowers to keep the rabbits away and a flower garden close to the house where some of the rocks were located."

At the end of the day, a new grill that will stay at the house was fired up for a picnic supper, and training given on how to use it to bring enjoyment all summer long. 

ABOUT LEADERSHIP ALEXANDRIA

The Chamber teams up with Alexandria Technical & Community College's Customized Training Center to present the six-month, 10-session program that enhances the leadership skills of participants. Community leaders serve as instructors, and presenters give participants insights into community history, government, industry and education.

The program begins in the fall with a two-day retreat at a local retreat center, and then meets for one day each month to focus on a different aspect of becoming a well-rounded leader. Participants also spend one day at the State Capitol meeting with local legislators to discuss current issues which impact Alexandria.