FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Greater Fort Wayne Inc. has named 47 individuals to be part of the Leadership Fort Wayne (LFW) Class of 2020. LFW is a nine-month program that provides an in-depth view of the many facets of the community while developing each participant’s leadership skills. By developing these skills, participants are better prepared to positively impact the community and their workplaces.
Since 1983, Leadership Fort Wayne has graduated more than 1,300 individuals, many of whom now serve on or lead nonprofit boards, hold elected office, or own their own businesses.
This year’s class, the 38th in LFW history, met last week for a welcome dinner at the Club Room at the Clyde. Their first program day, which covers community history, is set for Nov. 7.
“I am so excited to be working with this extremely talented group of leaders,” said Barry Schrock, GFW Inc.’s director of leadership programs. “Developing the next group of community leaders is very important to us–and to our community–and we could not be more thrilled to get started.”
Members of the Leadership Fort Wayne Class of 2020 are:
| Dan Beechy Centier Bank | Joe Behling Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority | Rebecca Bishop Ivy Tech Community College |
| Frances Brooks Parkview Foundation | Jerry Brown Jr. NIPSCO | Emily Carroll RAISE Consulting |
| Douglas Clark Ambassador Enterprises | Natasha Clark Michelin North America | Amanda Drakeford SCAN, Inc. |
| Tim Durnell Premier Bank | David Dyer Tonn and Blank Construction | Chad Eckland C.H. Robinson |
| Jean Fahy Do it Best Corp. | Richard Gnau JPMorgan Chase | Sarah Gordon Manchester University |
| Rowan Greene Heartland Communities | Melissa Gruys Purdue University Fort Wayne | David Hoffman Do it Best Corp. |
| Patrick Kelly YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne | Susan Koontz Lincoln Financial Group | Melissa Kurten Purdue University Fort Wayne |
| Mindy Kurtz Parkview Health | Jamee Lock Isaac Knapp District Dental Society | Crissy Moloney Downtown Improvement District |
| Jessica Morales Canterbury School | Tim Moriarty Old National Bank | Chris Mulkey 3Rivers Federal Credit Union |
| Brenda Niccum The League | Abigail Noble City Utilities | Emily Oberlin Fort Wayne Community Schools |
| Maurice Pearl Citilink | Nikki Quintana Fort Wayne Metropolitan Human Relations Commission | Chuck Reddinger Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department |
| Heather Riggle Indiana Michigan Power | Gennifer Robbins Parkview Health | Aaron Robles Founders Spark |
| John Saboski Micropulse, Inc. | Marissa Sauer Crossroad Child & Family Services | Jessica Shaw University of Saint Francis |
| Chad Shirar Parkview Health | Zack Spieth Indiana Air National Guard 122nd Fighter Wing | Lexi Strabala Fort Wayne TinCaps |
| Jermaine Thomas Fort Wayne Fire Department | Jennifer Tinker Lincoln Financial Group | Jonathan Ward Lutheran Health Network |
| Jared Widenhoefer Mosaic Building Solutions | Jennifer Wiggins Aegis Malpractice Solutions |
Individuals interested in participating in next year’s class can email leadership@gfwinc.com for more information and to be placed on the waiting list.
About Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Greater Fort Wayne (GFW) Inc. serves Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana, as its primary point of contact for economic growth. GFW Inc. focuses on prosperity and community vibrancy through economic development, advocacy, programs and resources that support business success, leadership development, graduate retention and community engagement.
