Columbia Chamber Leadership Columbia program seeking applications
January 29, 2025Leadership Columbia Class of 2026 Applications Now Open
Applications are now open for the Columbia Chamber’s leadership program, Leadership Columbia, for the Class of 2026. Approximately 60 applicants will be selected as the 53rd class of Leadership Columbia.
Founded in 1972, Leadership Columbia is a skills-building program that aims to develop emerging community leaders while providing an educational experience with a strong emphasis on social and community awareness. Upon completion of the program, Leadership Columbia participants will walk away with the knowledge and skills to focus their talents in best service to the greater Midlands region.
“The Leadership Columbia program offers up-and-coming, current, and future leaders an opportunity to experience a behind-the-scenes look at Columbia while gaining exposure to what it means to be a leader in this community. The program itself provides direct access to subject matter experts during 10 topic-specific class days. These class days serve as a backdrop for the class project, where this diverse group of individuals must come together as a class and truly impact the community in which they live, by leaving their legacy stamp on a local area nonprofit. Overall, the program is meant to be a journey – and although everyone’s journey is a little different, opportunities to attain this much information and exposure in one 10-month program are few and far between,” said Leadership Columbia Advisory Board Chair, Kenneth Givens.
Throughout the 10-month program, Leadership Columbia participants must attend and complete a required two-day retreat, nine monthly day-long sessions, a collaborative class project, and a variety of enrichment activities all designed to educate them on critical issues facing the community while also providing opportunities for deeper involvement in and around the greater Columbia region. Participants will immerse themselves fully exploring topics such as arts and culture, politics and government, educational and economic development, health services, criminal justice and military affairs, and many more.
Apply to the Leadership Columbia class of 2026 here. For questions, please contact Mary Beth Sanderson at [email protected].
About Leadership Columbia
Leadership Columbia is an educational program offered through the Columbia Chamber. The 10-month program provides emerging and existing leaders in the Midlands area with an opportunity to enhance their civic knowledge and network. For over 50 years, Leadership Columbia has helped participants better understand the local community, while building relationships with the region’s current and future leaders.
For more information on Leadership Columbia, visit www.columbiachamber.com or contact Mary Beth Sanderson at [email protected].
About Columbia Chamber
The Columbia Chamber is a private, non-profit, Partner-driven organization comprised of 1,200 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals in Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry and Richland counties. The Columbia Chamber serves as the voice of its Partners and the business community at large on matters of economic, educational, social, cultural and political concern, as well as supports and promotes the success of its Partners through networking, professional development, advocacy and leadership. The organization has represented the interests of the local business community since 1902.
To become a Partner or to learn more about the Columbia Chamber, as well as its events, programs and initiatives, visit www.columbiachamber.com.