FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The 40th year of the Leadership Fort Wayne (LFW) program is officially underway. Greater Fort Wayne Inc. today introduced the landmark 52-member Class of 2022.
LFW is a nine-month program that provides an in-depth view of the Fort Wayne / Allen County community while developing each participant’s leadership skills. By developing these skills, participants become better prepared to positively impact the community and their workplaces.
Since 1983, Leadership Fort Wayne has graduated nearly 1,500 individuals, many of whom now serve on or lead nonprofit boards, hold elected office, or own their own businesses.
This year’s class reflects the community’s diverse population. Community members, business leaders, and program alumni banded together over the past year to raise funds to secure eight fully funded seats (and partial funding for four more) for people from underrepresented backgrounds. The fundraising effort was part of GFW Inc.’s multifaceted push to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We have been very intentional about living out GFW Inc.’s core values of inclusivity, collaboration, and results. Bringing a wide range of perspectives to the table for LFW makes the learning experience better for everyone and prepares people to lead in our diverse community,” said Barry Schrock, GFW Inc.’s director of leadership programs. “Each year, I’m amazed by the talent and dedication of our rising leaders. I’m proud of the impact LFW graduates have made in the community over the last 39 years, and I can’t wait to work more with the Class of 2022.”
The cohort recently kicked off its schedule at the Clyde Theatre with orientation sessions. Starting next month, the Class of 2022 will participate in monthly program days covering such topics as community history, public safety, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Program days will continue through September, with graduation scheduled for the GFW Inc. Holiday Night event in December.
Members of the Leadership Fort Wayne Class of 2022 and their sponsoring individuals/organizations are:
| Ramadan Abdul-Azeez Vera Bradley | Jamie Bankert 1st Source Bank | Kamron Bell Fort Wayne Fire Department Ambassador Enterprises LFW Alumni Donors |
| Thad Berkes Weigand Construction | Yusanda Blackmon Association of Fundraising Professionals – Northeast Indiana Chapter | Natalie Brown Lincoln Financial Group |
| Andrea Burton Fort Wayne Fire Department | Shonda Cann Frontier Communications LFW Alumni Donors | Bethany Clapper Purdue University Fort Wayne |
| Ashley Faurote Fort Wayne City Utilities | Andy Fenker AWS Foundation | Jessica Fogle Vera Bradley |
| Lee Fuhr Luminary Wealth | Morgan Galecki SCAN, Inc. | Sarah Gnagy St. Joseph Township |
| Joshua Hale City of New Haven | MarTeze Hammonds Purdue University Fort Wayne | Lindsay Hannah Greater Fort Wayne Inc. |
| Jeremiah Hatfield Design Collaborative | Prachi Hoffmeister Flagstar Bank | Trent Hogue City of Fort Wayne |
| Carrie Jones Lincoln Financial Group | Aaron Kennerk Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Indiana | Seth Marshall PNC |
| Mason Metzger AWS Foundation | Francois Mikobi Cummins Inc. LFW Alumni Donors | Emily Owen Whittle Strategic Accounting |
| Josh Pulfer 3Rivers Federal Credit Union | Kelly Rentschler Indiana Michigan Power | Doug Robertson Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority |
| Cassandra Rosene Visiting Nurse | Heather Rush Lutheran Health Network | Abeer Saeed Custer Inc. |
| Alan Scherer Sold by the Gold | Rob Schleinkofer Allied Payment Network | Elena Sierk Greater Fort Wayne Inc. |
| Laura Smith Sweetwater | Julia Stambaugh YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne LFW Alumni Donors | Jeremy Stoner Indiana Air National Guard 122nd Fighter Wing |
| Jon Stroud NIPSCO | Cammy Sutter (Self-sponsored) | Tammy Taylor Anthony Wayne Area Council – Boy Scouts of America |
| Todd Titus NewAllen Alliance LFW Alumni Donors | Jennifer Vanderpool Felderman Design-Build | Gary Wolf Flagstar Bank |
| Aric Young BFGoodrich |
Individuals interested in participating in next year’s class can email leadership@gfwinc.com for more information about applying.
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.
