HENDERSON, Ky. — The latest group of 17 emerging community leaders from the 13th class of the Henderson Leadership Initiative presented three community improvement initiatives at their graduation ceremony on Thursday evening.
Presented to HLI Fellows, community leaders, friends and family at the commencement were the following initiatives:
- Incorporating driver’s education into Henderson County Schools: This initiative lays out the case and proposals for restoring driver’s education classes for students to promote improved traffic safety. Organizers said on-road driver’s education hasn’t been offered at Henderson County High School since the early 1990s.
Participating in this project were HLI class members Katie Goins, Jennifer Marks, Marcos Nicolas and Mia Vettese.
- HLI Fellows Society: This initiative seeks to re-engage the 240 HLI Fellows (or graduates) from the 13 classes so far as well as future graduates by gathering together on a regular basis for networking and occasional programs. Its purpose is to help enhance and extend the community leadership that HLI Fellows already are providing.
Participants included Kelsi Dunham, James Eblen, Riley Hamilton, Shannon Sandefur and Hannah Wadlington.
- Welcome to Henderson: This initiative has worked to incorporate “Welcome to Henderson, Ky.” signage on new overpasses that will be constructed on Interstate 69 for Airline Road as well as Kimsey Lane in the coming years.
The group also has designed and secured financing for a 21-foot-long Henderson selfie spot that is being erected at a scenic spot on the Henderson riverfront where visitors, including riverboat passengers, and locals can take photos and share on social media to help promote our community. Donors included the Preston Family Foundation, Dr. Larry Crick, Beverage Barn, Boucherie Winery, Casey Todd, Chase Fulcher, the Henderson Soccer Association, the Henderson Tourism Commission and Vowels Law.
Participants for this project included Holli Blanford, Brandy Boucherie, Brianna Cessna, Sarah Crick, Danielle Ervin, Justina McDaniel, Chasity Nance and Nikki Tabor.
“The brainstorming of community projects has been a hallmark of HLI since the program launched in 2007,” said Scott Davis, an HLI founder who chairs the organization’s board. “The initiatives are intended to benefit Henderson as well as provide practical experience in community leadership to class members.”
With Thursday’s commencement, HLI has graduated 240 HLI Fellows for community service. Twenty-five more participants have been accepted into the HLI Class of 2023, which begins next month. Applications for the Class of 2024 will be available this fall.
More information about HLI is available at HendersonLeadershipInitiative.org.
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