Emerging Leaders holds 2015 kickoff event

Dubois County Emerging Leaders giving circle held its 2015 Kick-Off Event at the Mill House in Jasper last week.

Emerging Leaders was formed in 2012 to engage young members of the community in philanthropy as well as provide great networking opportunities. Since forming the group has granted over $18,000 to Dubois County organizations.

At the kickoff event, Courtney Knies, who co-chairs the group, spoke on the past efforts and future endeavors for the group.

Along with the quarterly event opportunities, Knies invited those in attendance to join the monthly steering committee meetings which are held at 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Dubois County Community Foundation. Those meetings include engaging Technology Education and Design (TED) videos followed with engaging conversation. All are welcome to attend.

Knies, who is also the Executive Director of Mentors for Youth, gave an update on the impact of the 2014 grant of $5,000.00, which last year’s group of Emerging Leaders voted to bestow upon her organization. Knies stated that the grant is serving as a game changer and will be used to support the match-making process and to upgrade outdated computer software.

Also in attendance, guest speaker Bill Kaiser, past board president of the Dubois County Community Foundation and partner at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, spoke to the group about the importance of taking risks and not allowing fear to paralyze you.

Kaiser provided everyone in attendance with a copy of the book To Kill a Mockingbird and used the novel and lessons contained within to build upon his message.

“Eventually we become what we choose,” Kaiser said before elaborating that, oftentimes, what we choose to do or say has an unknown impact on our future.

Emerging Leaders concluded the evening with a social hour in which members were able to network.

The next steering committee meeting will be held at the Community Foundation on March 2nd at 5:30 p.m. The next Emerging Leader event is a luncheon on May 14th which will feature Mayors Spinner and Seitz as guest speakers.

More information may be found at www.elgiving.org or on Facebook at DCEmergingLeaders.