Preparing Leaders for Today and Tomorrow
On Monday, September 22, the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) was proud to officially recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of the newest graduates of its 2025 Leadership Academy program.
Across the nation, people with developmental differences want opportunities to be leaders and to contribute their talents, ideas, thoughts, opinions and unique points of view to important decisions making bodies and processes within their communities. “When we started our Leadership Academy program three years ago, we knew there were individuals with developmental differences who had the drive and passion to get more involved in their community,” says Nicole Richter, MCBDD Training & Compliance Specialist. “The goal was to provide the opportunity to provide them with the skills, support and training they needed to take on local leadership roles.” Since then Richter, with the help of Molly Usner, MCBDD Community Resource and Advocacy Coordinator, have been instrumental in growing and supporting the success of the MCBDD’s Leadership Academy and its participants.
The Leadership Academy is a six-month long program to help participants ages 18 and over develop skills needed to seek out meaningful leadership roles in community organizations in which they are passionate about. It covers topics such as: understanding leadership, becoming a leader, developing a personal profile, communication, listening, problem-solving, time management, interview skills, non-profit organization’s boards of directors, and outlining personalized plans for leadership goals. Additionally, participants are required to attend a Medina County Commissioners meeting, help in a civic endeavor, and attend presentations from people in leadership roles in several local community organizations. In March, the program selected four new participants for the 2025 Leadership Academy; Shannon Harris, Alida Leidy, Nick Ryder and Kevin Winchester. Each being chosen based on the strength of their application and current levels of advocacy involvement.
“We have watched this class learn new skills and grow as future leaders. Each of them came into this class with the drive and passion for giving back, and what they learned in the past six months has only elevated the skills and knowledge they already possessed,” said Richter. “We are confident that each of these individuals will contribute to bettering their communities. We are so proud of the work they have done and we look forward to seeing the impacts they will make.”