Vital second meeting set for 'Leadership Wilkes' Oct. 28

The critical second meeting of the new Leadership Wilkes community effort has been set, and committees are now forming to tackle many of the problems and challenges identified at the first community meeting two weeks ago.

The second meeting is set for Thursday, September 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wilkes Senior Center.

And while the fact that 85 Wilkes County people active business, civic, education, and industry took part in the first meeting, the attendance at this meeting is critical.

"This is where we move from complaining to fixing," Donna Hardy said. "We've identified things we need to work on, and now we're going to work."

The real test of a community's commitment to change is who comes to this next meeting, and the next, said Dr. Jerry Barrow, Athens Tech's Economic Development Director. "This will take work, and for a long time to come."

Ed Geddings, former manager of Hexcel, will chair the Workforce Development Committee, to focus on the challenges of improving the work ethics and work habits of Wilkes County workers.

The Ambassador Committee will be chaired by Sue Davidson to improve the messages local people send to the public about Washington Wilkes.

The Aesthetics Committee will work on the look of the city and areas in the county that send the wrong messages about Wilkes County. Working with the new America in Bloom effort that the Chamber of Commerce has begun, the committee will work to improve the appearance of critical areas of the community.

The Aesthetics Committee will also work with the Downtown Development Authority. "The DDA is working on wonderful plans for The Square, and we want to do anything we can to help with that," Hardy said.

Key to the success of the Leadership Wilkes effort will be the selection of some 25 young Wilkes County leaders from ages 18 to 35 who will take active leadership roles in the effort. "We have a real commitment to raise up young leaders," Hardy said, "and we need the energy and insight that our smart, educated young leaders can bring to the effort. They're the future of this county, and they may be the ones who can solve some of the problems we face."