Signature Program

Leadership Tuscarawas Signature Program Application
Signature Program (for more information, please contact Dr. William (Bill) Beisel, Executive Director, at wbeisel@kent.edu)

Leadership Tuscarawas prepares us to be good stewards of the Tuscarawas Valley community.  Program participants develop a strong commitment to community involvement ensuring that our region has a strong foundation of civic engagement and servant leadership with each new generation.  

Updated curriculum for 2025-2026

Many new professional development training modules have been added to the program.  Topics include, in part, best practices in leadership and management, servant leadership, ethics and leadership, social media best practices, and capstone lesson on leadership to name just a few.

Program Schedule for 2025-2026
 

Overnight Retreat:                                       August 14 and 15

Tuscarawas Community Bus Tour:        September 9 ** Day begins at 7:30 am-5 pm **

 

Monthly Program Days are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 8:00 am-5:00 pm at Kent State Tuscarawas or at other local organizations and are scheduled as follows:

         

  • October 14
  • November 11
  • December 9
  • January 13, 2026
  • February 10
  • March 10
  • April 14
  • May 12
Participation and Time Commitment
  • Leadership Tuscarawas requires a serious commitment of time and energy. All applicants must be able to fulfill the attendance requirements.
  • Full participation of each individual is necessary, and attendance at each session is expected.  Because emergencies or business needs may arise, a participant may be absent from 12 hours of class.
  • Participants who are absent for more than 12 hours of class may not graduate with their current class. The hours missed must be made up the following year to graduate.
  • Leadership Tuscarawas reserves the right to notify a class participant’s employer/sponsor should they not meet the attendance requirements. 
  • Attendance for the entire two-day Program Retreat is mandatory and non-negotiable. Class participants who are accepted into the program and are unable to attend the retreat will be asked to wait until the following year to enter the program.
  • Each participant is required to take part in a Community Project that may require additional time commitments outside of class.
  • If accepted into the Leadership Tuscarawas program, applicants are encouraged to attend the May 12, 2026 Leadership Tuscarawas graduation ceremony where you will be introduced as a member of the Class of 2025-2026.   
Who Benefits from Leadership Tuscarawas?
The Participants
  • The necessary skills to be a successful leader, group manager, decision maker and community trustee
  • Deeper understanding of Tuscarawas County and its challenges and opportunities
  • Expanded person network of local leaders
  • Personal and professional enrichment
  • Refined personal mission for community service and servant leadership
  • Improved self-reflection and self-awareness
  • Increased flexibility and openness for change
The Employer
  • Employees will increase leadership skills that will enhance their organizational effectiveness
  • Access to a regional network of colleagues that can help with business solutions
  • Readiness for collaboration, cooperation and teamwork
  • Involvement and a voice in community activities
  • Opportunity to position their business as an organization committed to "corporate caring"
Tuscarawas County
  • An active community leadership network with a better understanding of how things work and willing to take action to do the things most needed
  • County-wide collaborations
  • Increased citizen participation in community issues
  • Unified community members striving to create a better county
Explore

Explore becoming a participant if you:

  • Have a passion and motivation for serving Tuscarawas County
  • Have an opinion, want to learn more, or want to engage in inclusive dialogue about community issues
  • Want to engage and connect with others who desire to have a sustainable region
  • Work for a business or are an entrepreneur who wants to keep the Tuscarawas Valley economy strong
  • Work as a non-profit professional, member of government or community volunteer
  • Live or work in the Tuscarawas Valley
  • Each person has a capacity to be a leader-our program helps you get there
The Program
  • The curriculum for Leadership Tuscarawas serves as an incubator for community issue awareness, leadership skill development and networking
  •  The program year begins with a retreat and a county-wide bus tour. Participants take part in exercises to explore their personal leadership styles, understand and utilize teambuilding techniques, and begin network building with fellow participants
  •  From October through May the class spends one intensive day each month in interactive program days.  Sessions are held at various locations around the county, providing participants with a broader perspective of our area.   Tours at host locations are often a part of the program day
  • The following competencies for socially intelligent community leaders are presented during the nine-month program:  self-awareness, interpersonal and relational skills, teamwork and partnering, community awareness, servant leadership and much more.
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