Leadership Hamilton class takes on not 1, but 2 community projects

Leadership Hamilton Class 20

Mike Allen, business development officer, Harrison Building & Loan

Karen Baker, partner, Baker & Associates CPAs, LLC

Adam Blanchard, district executive, Dan Beard Council, Boy Scouts of America

Sherrie Bluester, executive director, YWCA Hamilton

Mike Campbell, executive director, Butler County Port Authority

Bekka Eaton Reardon, assoc. professor/director of Theatre Engagement, Miami University Hamilton

Mike Flaherty, branch manager, PNC Bank

Jodi Fritsch, director of public relations & marketing, Fitton Center for Creative Arts

Amber Hunter-Steele, Y.E.S. advocate, Hamilton Community Foundation

Christian Kirchen, production manager OE, ThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America

Jana Lewis, assistant principal, Hamilton Freshman School

Chris Lusk, business development representative, G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers, Inc.

Linda Martin, marketing & membership, Great Miami Valley YMCA

Kim Mayhew, vice president & trust officer, First Financial Bank

Cindy Meale, WIC program director, Primary Health Solutions

Mike Pratt, associate provost/dean of regional campuses, Miami University

Cathy Ramsey, registered rep., National Retirement Consultants, Inc.

Heather Reister, director, Colonial Schools

Ron Rollins, editor, Hamilton JournalNews

Terry Schawe, chief operating officer, Kaivac, Inc.

Joshua Smith, city manager, City of Hamilton

Shawn Stidham, director of sales, Concord Hospitality/Courtyard by Marriott Hamilton

Lori Thompson, branch manager, First Financial Bank

HAMILTON — It’s customary for each graduating class of Leadership Hamilton to pick a single project it can work on to improve the community.

But that just wouldn’t do for Leadership Class 20.

“I would say we’re a group of over-achievers, because we didn’t just choose one project, we chose two,” said Jana Lewis, one of this year’s graduates and an assistant principal at Hamilton Freshman School.

The 23 members of Class 20 plan to help with Hamilton City Schools’ Character Day in the fall and improve the city’s Ohio 129 and Ohio 4 corridor by installing a sculpture. The projects were announced Thursday during the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Red Carpet Luncheon at the Courtyard by Marriott downtown.

The Chamber sponsors the nine-month Leadership Hamilton program, which is designed to promote community service and teach local leaders more about the city and local issues. Graduates received a plaque Thursday for participating in the annual program.

Lewis said Class 20 is looking forward to being family leaders for fifth- and sixth-graders during Hamilton schools’ Character Day next fall. And fellow graduate Shawn Stidham, director of sales for Courtyard by Marriott, added the group will work with the City of Sculpture board to raise funds and identify the best location and artwork to install by the city’s east entrance.

A sculpture would help reinforce the city’s brand as City of Sculpture, Stidham said.

The Chamber is now taking applications for Class 21.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or clevingston@coxohio.com.