Albany Area Chamber graduates first Political Leadership class
Special Photo: AACC
From staff reports
ALBANY — The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce recently graduated the inaugural class of the Albany Area Political Leadership Institute, a nonpartisan leadership program aimed at equipping participants for leadership on local boards and in elected office.
The 14 participants from the Albany area received basic knowledge of governmental leadership and foundational skills needed to serve in elected or appointed positions.
“The Political Leadership Institute was designed as an innovative approach to developing local talent, specifically for the purpose of governmental leadership, which often comes with nuanced challenges that can be difficult to navigate without prior experience,” Barbara Rivera Holmes, president and CEO of the chamber, said. “PLI helps bridge that gap for political newcomers, providing them with a primer on issues and on what to expect prior to engaging as a political candidate or accepting a position on a governmental board.”
Through PLI, the Albany Chamber hopes to engage more people in public service and to connect with and develop business-minded leaders who have an interest in exploring leadership opportunities.
The program consisted of three half- or full-day sessions covering information on local governmental structure, division of responsibilities and services, candidate requirements, and the priorities of various governmental and agency boards.
Each class day featured unique networking opportunities for class members to build relationships with each other and with business and community leaders.
The institute is an initiative of the Albany Area Chamber’s #ImpactABY2023 strategy and was implemented through its Government Affairs Division, chaired by Bridges Sinyard, vice president of Adams Exterminators.
Applications for the 2023-24 Political Leadership Institute class will open early summer.
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