Leadership Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary at Graduation Dinner
By Carol Tracy Carr
There was a great deal to celebrate at the Fluvanna Leadership Development Program (FLDP)
Graduation Dinner held on March 25th at the Ashlawn Grille. 19 graduates were honored for
their successful completion of the 10th year of the program that began last September and ended
on March 20 when the class presented their final projects to a group of County officials. During
the 13 sessions of the program held twice-monthly, the class had the opportunity to hear from
and ask questions of many of the County leaders, including members of the Board of
Supervisors, the County Administrator, Commissioner of Revenue, County Treasurer, and
Finance Director, the Director of Economic Development, and representatives from the Planning
Commission and the Economic Development Commission, the Superintendent of Schools and
members of the School Board, and the County law enforcement and fire and rescue leaders.
Representatives from the Social Services and Health Departments, Parks and Recreation and
Extension Services also spoke to the class, as well as representatives from many of the volunteer
organizations that provide important county services to the community.
By the completion of the course, the class members received a detailed overview of the roles
played by the County and local government officials, including LMOA, the schools, County
departments and volunteer organizations, and also learned of the major issues facing the County
with respect to its finances, its economic development, and the services necessary for our
community to function well. A class project on a topic chosen by the students ended the class,
and this year’s presentations addressed the needs to improve communications between the
schools and the community at large, the current needs of the fire and rescue departments in the
County, and new ways to address the need for economic development in the County.
At the graduation ceremonies, Mozelle Booker spoke first to the class on behalf of the Board of
Supervisors, praised them for their hard work and stated that “our community needs all of us”
and that she hoped to see them on future boards and commissions. Two class members spoke on
behalf of the class. Wayne Murphy stated that the program exceeded his expectations, detailed
the high points of the sessions in the first half of the program, in particular the bus tour that
begins the program and carries the class throughout Fluvanna County to see the high points of
interest, including Bremo Plantation. Susan Beattie followed up with her remarks on the second
half and stated that after FLDP she no longer feels like just a “city folk” or Lake Monticello
folk” but as a true Fluvanna County resident.
The highlight of the evening was to hear Al Colville, one of the founders of the program and
who has served as its Chairman since its inception, speak about the major players who have
worked to develop the program over the past ten years as he moved quickly through a pictorial
presentation drawn from the thousands of pictures he’s taken of the program’s events. The
significant contributions Colville has made to the success of the program by inspiring others to
participate were clearly evident as he spoke with pride of how of the 194 people who have
graduated in the first nine class, 86 have held 144 positions in 29 different County organizations,
and 69 County positions are currently held by graduates.
The 11th Class of the Fluvanna Leadership Development Program will be accepting applications
beginning in June.