If you didn't attend this month's General Meeting, you missed our speaker, Trevor Yarrish, regarding Rogue Leadership.

Trever said Rogue Leadership was modeled after a program Tupelo Mississippi, used to turn its economy around. That city was one of the least economically successful places in a state that is one of the least successful economically. 

Tupelo’s program started with individual development, moved to the organization level, then to the community, training people to be more successful in business and elected positions.Through this program, which focuses on building up local assets, Tupelo developed a dairy industry that created jobs and brought the town back to life.

Typically, a community focuses on economic development, providing money for that, but Rogue Leadership will focus on individuals who develop the skills needed to foster a climate of successful development, according to Trever. The fabric of a society is held or torn depending on the leadership in the community, so it pays to have training available to prepare leaders from their teen years to those already in leadership positions.

There will be space for 25 people in the first cohort of the program, focusing on individual skill sets. They will move on over eight months, broadening their reach into business and community. The cost is $2500 per person, but there are sponsors who provide subsidies and scholarships. Trever said All-Care Health and Evergreen Bank, The Hivve, and the Grants Pass/Josephine County Chamber of Commerce are some of the program's sponsors. More information is available at Rogue Leadership Training Program | Rogue Leadership Training Experience | Grants Pass Oregon Leadership Development