Leadership Fort Wayne celebrates 46 grads in Class of 2022

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Last night, 46 individuals celebrated their graduation from the Leadership Fort Wayne (LFW) program. The graduation ceremony, part of Greater Fort Wayne Inc.’s Holiday Night event, served as a milestone in the Class of 2022’s commitment to servant leadership and community trusteeship.

The evening also marked a pair of historic achievements for the LFW program itself: the Class of 2022 is the 40th cohort in the program’s history, and the class also pushed the number of LFW alumni past 1,500 since its founding in 1983. Many alums have gone on to serve on or lead nonprofit boards, hold elected office, or run businesses.

LFW is an 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.

Highlights of the program include behind-the-scenes tours of local landmarks, presentations by community leaders and leadership development experts, skills assessments, and Community Action Team projects that help local nonprofits solve real-world challenges. The Class of 2022 participated in monthly program days covering topics including community history, public safety, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. LFW participants can also gain additional leadership experience serving as intern board members for local nonprofits.

“This class is incredibly talented, and they are passionate about serving and improving our community,” said Meghan Short, director of investor programs at GFW Inc. “It has been an honor to watch them discover and develop their innate talents. I can’t wait to see them lead the way to a successful future for Allen County.”

Members of the Leadership Fort Wayne Class of 2022 and their sponsoring 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

Applications for the LFW Class of 2023 closed in October. Individuals interested in participating in the Class of 2024 can visit LeadershipFW.com or 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. To learn more, visit gfwinc.com.