FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Leadership Fort Wayne (LFW) program is officially underway for the Class of 2023. Greater Fort Wayne Inc. today introduced the 57-member class, the third-largest cohort in program history.
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 make a positive impact in the community and their workplaces.
Since 1983, LFW has graduated more than 1,500 individuals, many of whom now serve on or lead nonprofit boards, hold elected office, or own businesses.
GFW, Inc. representatives released the following:
This year’s class, the 41st in LFW history, recently kicked off its schedule with orientation sessions at Electric Works hosted by Carr Workplaces. Starting next month, the Class of 2023 will participate in monthly program days covering such topics as community history, public safety, and inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Program days will continue through September, with graduation scheduled for the Leadership Fort Wayne alumni breakfast in November.
“I’m excited to get to know this year’s class, and I can’t wait to learn with them—and from them,” said Meghan Short, GFW Inc.’s director of investor programs. “This is a talented group that’s bound to make a positive impact in Allen County and beyond.”
For the third consecutive year, GFW Inc. championed a fundraiser to help make LFW more accessible for leaders from all backgrounds. Contributions by AWS Foundation, CSX Transportation, community members, local businesses, and LFW alumni helped remove barriers to participation.
“Diverse perspectives create better conversations and a better learning experience for everyone,” Short said. “It’s only fitting that, as we learn about our community, our class reflects the diversity of the community,”
Members of the Leadership Fort Wayne Class of 2023 and their sponsoring individuals/organizations are:
Brian Acheff
City of New Haven
Josh Ambrose
Custer Inc.
Ryan Bauer
Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority
Jasmine Bejar
One Lucky Guitar
Tony Belton
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Mo Bender
Fort Wayne Community Schools
Wayne Bennett
BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing
Jamie Berndt
Lincoln Financial Group
Jill Boggs
Visit Fort Wayne
Susan Brown
Ivy Tech Community College
Willie Burton
Fort Wayne Fire Department
Keiara Carr
Amani Family Services
Community Donors
Humair Chowdhry
Premier Bank
Chip Clark
Unified Developments
Community Donors
Jerry Cunningham
Schindler Elevator Corporation
Katie Davis
Indiana Michigan Power
Shelly Detcher
Camp Red Cedar
Connor Fleck
Barrett McNagny LLP
Thad Gerardot
Lincoln Financial Group
Anne Hall
Community Transportation Network
Community Donors
Jared Herndon
Ash Brokerage
Brian Hickam
Indiana Tech
Justin Hurtle
NIPSCO
Elaine Jones
Stillwater Hospice
Lisa Keirns
STAR Financial Bank
Andrew Kopec
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Ivy Kurgan
Lutheran Health Network
Michael Landgraf
Canterbury School
Jonathan Leist
City of Fort Wayne
Emily Leonard
Fort Wayne City Utilities
Aaron Madrigal Gutierrez
Steel Dynamics
Mitch McKinney
Fort Wayne Police Department
Fred McKissack
The Journal Gazette
Andie Mosley
AWS Foundation
Frank Navarro
Sweetwater
Julie Nolan
Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Jessica Pater
Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation
Aaron Pence
Indiana Air National Guard 122nd Fighter Wing
Dena Pickens
AWS Foundation
Kylie Riecken
The Lutheran Foundation
Mike Ripley
Hylant
Schvalla Rivera
United Front Initiative
Adriane Roberts
Vera Bradley
Jeff Roberts
Fort Wayne Community Schools
Sofia Rosales-Scatena
Fort Wayne Police Department
D’Quan Ruth
3Rivers Federal Credit Union
Tasha Sector
Metropolitan Title
David Sherman
Indiana Air National Guard 122nd Fighter Wing
Tyler Sipe
Physicians Health Plan
Eric Steenman
Lake City Bank
Steven Townes
CSX Transportation
Jenna Tyler
Summit Brands
Rachel Vedder
Design Collaborative
Ashley Warren
STAR Financial Bank
John Watkins
Don Ayres Honda
Josiah Wells
Parkview Health
TBD
Fort Wayne Fire Department
Individuals interested in participating in next year’s class can email mshort@gfwinc.com for more information about applying.
