Wayne County — home to Richmond, the Eastern Gateway of Indiana, thrives with industry and jazz. Its architecture reflects a Quaker heritage and the Whitewater River flows alongside the former Starr Piano Company and Gennett Records.
Melissa Vance loves this place. She grew up going to the county fair — one of the oldest in Indiana — and shopping in the quaint stores with her mom before graduating from Centerville High School. It was no surprise when she began working for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce eight years ago.
“Working with exceptional leaders to improve Wayne County is truly a blessing. Whether we’re expanding businesses, enhancing the workforce, or fostering personal growth, we have the privilege of witnessing success flourish all around us.” said Vance, who has served as the chamber’s president and CEO since 2018.
For years, Vance and her team worked hard to provide professional development, networking and engagement for the chamber’s more than 530 members. They enjoyed seeking out speakers and developing programming, but the planning and execution took a lot of energy and time.
Enter Peggy Cenova, then the regional director for the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center in Muncie. Cenova encouraged her good friend to “not recreate the wheel” and focus her energy on the chamber’s other important roles and priorities. Cenova introduced Vance to Shafer Leadership Academy as a way to provide professional development tailored to Wayne County’s needs and goals.
Personalized programs that are ‘just the beginning’
Last summer, Vance sat down with the executive director of Shafer Leadership Academy, Mitch Isaacs, who is from Wayne County. She learned about Shafer’s Academy Membership, which provides the employees of businesses and nonprofits with unlimited access to Coffee Talks, Lunch & Learns and Workshops. It provides discounted access to SLA’s foundational leadership training, Emergence, and tailored programs and coaching.
“A local insurance agent, who had a couple people attend one of the virtual sessions, called to say how valuable it was and asked if she was limited to the number of people in his company who could attend future sessions. The answer is ‘no,’ and she was so excited,” Vance said. “For me, it’s just the beginning. I love what I’m seeing already, and I am excited for what is to come because when our businesses grow, then our community grows.”
In March, Shafer Leadership came to Richmond to provide a tailored training version of its Fusion program to help participants become more effective communicators and leaders in multi-generational workplaces.
“We had about 86 people, and the feedback was tremendous. Mitch and his team are from the area and know our members or are taking time to get to know our members,” she added. “Sometimes people perceive local as less experienced or less qualified compared to a national company, but Shafer challenges that thinking, and our interactions have proven you can grow excellence and we can be excellent together, right here in our own county.”
Isaacs has traveled to the county to lead or observe several of the workshops for chamber members. “It’s energizing, he said, to see a community come together to be so invested in and driven to grow. I can’t wait to see their evolution as we continue to support them.
“It is a joy to work with Melissa and her team. They are so connected to their members, and their community, that they innately understand what needs should be addressed,” he said. “I am consistently impressed by their professionalism, drive and willingness to collaborate. They are a model for chambers across the state.”
…good leadership is simply using your influence and using that influence for good or to bring people along to progress.
Vance said SLA’s focus on inclusive leadership for all resonates with the chamber’s mission to grow leaders at every level. SLA programs, Vance said, benefit leaders at all levels to achieve their potential at the workplace and in the community.
“Leadership happens at every level from toddlers to seniors, and that’s something that people don’t always grasp or realize. They think, ‘Oh, I’ll be a leader when I become the CEO or store manager,’” Vance said. “But good leadership is simply using your influence and using that influence for good or to bring people along to progress. If you don’t learn those leadership skills along life’s journey, then you won’t be ready if and when you move into a larger role.”
A shift from annual to quarterly connections
Vance said the partnership has also encouraged them to rethink and refocus.
“We had held a one-day conference for the past three years, and it was good but a lot to pull together and ask people to give up an entire day. It also meant we only gathered once a year,” Vance explained. “We are going to try having quarterly summits with Shafer to address pressing issues and professional development needs.”
Vance said she asked Shafer to focus the June summit on leadership best practices but also on how to balance attraction and retention with accountability of employees. Vance wants to help Wayne County employers create workplace cultures in which employees want to invest.
“I’ve been hearing from a lot of employers that they are afraid to hold people accountable or push them out the door because the hiring process is so time-consuming and costly, and there aren’t that many qualified people coming in for interviews,” she said. “Working with Shafer, we will learn how to evolve and thrive in a changing climate.”
…we often can’t do that work alone.
To those who say they don’t need professional development or that they can get all they need from books or YouTube videos, Vance says ‘nope.’ Books and podcasts and virtual experiences are great, she said, but they don’t replace the deep work that happens in personal, targeted virtual sessions or in-person programming.
“We live in a world of multitasking, and multitasking is a good way to get things done, but it’s not a good way to grow. And we need growth. It’s important for us to pull ourselves aside and turn everything else off to really focus on becoming a better leader or community member or whatever it is you want to achieve. And we often can’t do that work alone.”
Vance said she looks forward to the word continuing to spread about what Shafer Leadership Academy brings to chamber members to better promote, lead and serve the region.
Learn more about how your organization can become a member by contacting Ted Ward, SLA Membership Director, at tward@shaferleadership.com.