Leadership Reno County
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Overview

Leadership Reno County provides a leadership skills training experience for a cross section of community members. The skills are taught in the context of community issues and initiatives with the goal of increasing participants' level of civic engagement. Participants also gain skills that they are able to immediately use for the betterment of their employers and community organizations with which they are involved.
History
Since 1984, over 1000 community members have been participants in leadership programs offered by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. Originally known as Leadership Hutchinson, the program was renamed Leadership Reno County in 2005 and was revamped to provide skill-based training with the purpose of increasing participants' level of civic engagement. Currently, each class is comprised of 28-32 participants.
Program Details
Tuition is $900 per class participant. This includes 8 full-day training sessions, lodging for the overnight retreat, all meals for the overnight retreat and lunches on remaining sessions, and all course materials. Full and partial scholarships are available from the Leadership Reno County Alumni Association. If you are interested in a scholarship, the appropriate form can be accessed through our application.
To be eligible, participants must live or work in Reno County and not be convicted of a person or sex crime of severity level 3 or higher, or its equivalent, unless they have lived in the community at least five years, without any criminal arrests following the completion of their sentence or parole, whichever is later.
Participants attend a two-day overnight retreat and six one-day sessions. Community tours of local businesses and other organizations are arranged both during class sessions and outside of class. An additional 15 to 20 hours are spent outside of class.
2025 Class Information
To recommend someone to participate in LRC, please send the applicant's name and email address to Info@LeadRenoCounty.org. Or click here to complete an Application.
2025 Class Sessions
Retreat - Thursday, August 21st, 8:30am to Friday, August 22nd, 5pm (whole days and overnight)
Session 2 - Thursday, September 4th, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 3 - Thursday, September 11th, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 4 - Thursday, September 25th, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 5 - Thursday, October 9th, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 6 - Thursday, October 23rd, 8 am to 5 pm
Session 7 - Thursday, November 6th, 8 am to 5 pm and 5:30 to 7 pm
Any absence, regardless of the reason, must be excused by one of the program facilitators. Participants unable to attend all sessions may, at the discretion of the program facilitators, be withdrawn from the program. In such cases, there will not be a tuition refund.
Participants are also required to:
- Complete community exposure visitations to businesses, non-profits and community boards (at times other than during class sessions)
- Complete readings
- Experiment with the leadership competencies
How to Apply
Now accepting Applications for the 2025 class. Applications are due Friday, July 11th.
To recommend someone to participate in LRC, please send the applicant's name and email address to Info@LeadRenoCounty.org.
Leadership Reno County Alumni Committee
The Leadership Reno County Alumni Committee of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce and Hutchinson Community Foundation is responsible for program content; class selection; oversight of program donations and endowed funds; and alumni engagement. Members of The Leadership Reno County Alumni Committee are program graduates and serve up to two three-year terms.
Leadership Reno County Committee Members
- Autumn Gray, LRC Class of 2019
- Kelbe McGill, LRC Class of 2021
- Jason McCool, LRC Class of 2021
- Chucc Crumble , LRC Class of 2021
- Natalie Goertzen, LRC Class of 2022
- Elicia Lance, LRC Class of 2022 (Secretary)
- Jacqui Homewood, LRC Class of 2023 (Chair)
- Matthew Caraway, LRC Class of 2023
- Kayci Thiessen, LRC Class of 2024
- Thomas Simmons, LRC Class of 2024
- Debra Teufel, Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce
- Kari Mailloux, Hutchinson Community Foundation (Treasurer)
- Phil Auxier, Program Director
- Shane Iwashige, Program Facilitator
- Dashona Mahoney, Program Facilitator
- Jackson Swearer, Program Facilitator
Program Facilitators
Dashona Mahoney
Jackson Swearer
Shane Iwashige