Junior leadership program gets sponsor

By Staff
Melissa Cason
The students for the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Junior Leadership program have been selected, and the students are looking forward to a fulfilling experience this school year.
Executive Director Cheryl Bradford said forty students were selected for this year's program, and the addition of a sponsor for the program will make this year more fulfilling for the students.
"We will be able to add field trips and other experiences to make this year even more meaningful for the students," Bradford said.
Bradford said Redhawk Technical Services, LLC in Russellville will be the sole sponsor for the program this year.
Ned Storey, director of administration for Redhawk, said they plan to make additions to the program to offer to enrich the students' involvement.
Storey said one of the plans is to get Franklin County's leadership students involved with other county's leadership students.
"We are looking at having joint meetings with Decatur's program," Storey said. "Decatur's program and our program are both premier programs, and both should be able to benefit from mutual involvement."
Bradford said that while the program will be adding things, they will continue their other yearly projects as well.
The students' yearly projects include working the Watermelon Festival, Clean Up Franklin County, Veteran's reception, Christmas party for the Sarah Dinsmore Center, and job shadow.
"We are going to be adding several new things, but we are also keeping the old things too," Bradford said.
The students selected for this year's program are: Isaias Garcia, Maddie Lane, Emily Davidson, Cody McGuire, Kayla Hicks, Riley Baker, A.J. Barnes, Jordan Benford, Ryan Champion, Jay Grissom, Cody Glasgow, Summer Hester, Will Hester, Sara McMahan, Kristi Odell, Mandy Taylor, Morgan McKinney, Tage Philamlee, Adam Seahorn, Lake Elliott, Paige Garrison, Jackson Witt, John Alex Foster, Anna Claire Burgess, Lauren Copeland, Ashley Askew, T.J. Lindsey, Katelin Swindle, Sara Bingham, Jordan Moore, Lydia Wade, Mollie Flanagan, Cortney Wray, Jordan Lindsey, Kaitlyn Mixon, Katie Bradford, Marilla Duncan, Daniel Hollimon, Bret Malone, and Nathan Holcomb.
The year will begin for the students in late July with parents orientation. The group will have their first event on Aug. 3 at the Bear Creek Education Center.