Less than two months ago, the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce graduated 14 local business owners and professionals from its yearly leadership program. Now, it gears up for another year, loosely following the 2022–2023 academic calendar.
On May 25, chamber of commerce members and representatives gathered for the graduation of over a dozen participants in Leadership Dripping Springs, a program sponsored and organized by the chamber in partnership with H-E-B. This program — which has the slogan, “steering future leaders” — provides a hands-on, interactive experience for involved community members to enhance their personal and professional skills. It also includes instruction and discussion on relevant community challenges opportunities, according to chamber’s website.
The program is designed to cover topics such as nonprofits and leadership, education, health and social services, government, infrastructure, economic development and tourism.
“Leadership Dripping Springs is all about civic engagement, making connections, and building strong relationships with others in our community,” said Susan Kimball, president of the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a great way to engage your business or organization — whether you’re new to town or have been here a long time.”
The program requires participants to attend monthly, day-long sessions from September to April in addition to the graduation ceremony in May.
This year’s participants included realtor BenĂ©e Arndt, chiropractor Sam Callaway, business consultant Jackie Gonzalez, civil engineer Sharon Hamilton, Color World franchise owner Jeff Hendricks, realtor Kelly James, attorney Alexandra Jones-Lafont, Deep Eddy Vodka manager Eustacio Lara, insurance agent Ed Mena, Dripping Springs Education Foundation Director Audrey Pendergrass, Blackhawk Lending CEO Dave Spanton, Dripping Springs Communications and Marketing Director Lisa Sullivan, community banker Kimberly Watson and John Rendon.
Applications for the 2022–2023 Leadership Dripping Springs program are open and available online. Tuition for each Chamber member participant is $700. Tuition for non-member participants is $1000.
The application deadline is August 30.
Learn more or apply now at drippingspringstx.org/chamber/leadership-dripping-springs.
The Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce is a local association of business owners and professionals dedicated to improving the area’s economic vitality. Its mission is “to provide business leadership and advocacy for the continuous improvement of the economic environment.”