Edison State's Mosaic of Community Leadership Conference a Success

Approximately 130 nonprofit board members, executive directors, and staff from throughout the region attended the 21st annual Mosaic of Community Leadership Conference recently held at Edison State Community College’s Piqua Campus.

Hosted by The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership and the Center for Leadership Development at Edison State, the one-day conference allowed participants to engage in a keynote address, network with other area nonprofit leaders, attend breakout education and work sessions, and enjoy lunch.

Shane Meeker, Company Historian and Corporate Storyteller at Procter & Gamble Company and Edison State alumnus, provided the keynote address. Meeker is a 27-year veteran at the P&G Company with a degree in industrial design. Over the last 17 years, he has become a nationally recognized keynote speaker and instructor on storytelling, presenting at over 250 companies and brands around the globe. 

Those in attendance also participated in breakout education and work sessions that touched on topics such as grant application and management, nonprofit financial considerations, recruiting and managing volunteers, legal obligations of nonprofit leaders, board recruitment and development, marketing and public relations, and leadership development. Sessions were led by Edison Byzyka, Credent Wealth; Terri Flood, Wayne HealthCare; Nathan Hand, The Fund Raising School at Indiana University, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy; Chief Bruce Jamison and Jim Bowell, Edison State; Tyler Louth, Marketing Essentials; Meme Marlow, Edison State; Shane Meeker, P&G Company; and Wendy Roop, Aileron Facilitator. 

The Edison State Center for Leadership Development holds the Mosaic of Community Leadership conference each year at the conclusion of the Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership series, which helps individuals make a difference on their nonprofit boards and in their communities. A grant from the Duke Foundation made the Academy possible. 

The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership and the Center for Leadership Development at Edison State presented Academy graduates with certificates during the conference. 

The 2024 graduates of the Academy for Community Leadership 1.0 included Katy Cullis, The Centered Foundation; Chad Henry, City of Piqua; Jennifer Knisely, Child Advocacy Center at Isaiah’s Place; Chris Lundquist, Clubhouse; Noel Martin, Partners In Hope; Michelle Mason, Community Housing of Darke, Miami, and Shelby Counties; Tara McCafferty, SoFo Solution Focused HR/Preble County Chamber of Commerce; Meredith McKee, Tipp City Chamber of Commerce; Brenda Miller, New Madison Public Library; Valerie Mullikin, Operation Veteran & Caregiver Support; Laura Price, FISH Choice Food Pantry; Cami Snyder, The House That Lulu Built; Melissa Stanley, Partners In Hope; Elizabeth Sweeny, New Creations Counseling Center; Tasha Weaver, Downtown Tipp City Partnership; and Deb Zwez, United Way of Auglaize County.

The conference also recognized A–Z Nonprofit Board Award recipients, which honors nonprofit boards for their exceptional work in the region and commitment to service and stewardship. Recipients awarded at the Gold level include Downtown Tipp City Partnership, Mainstreet Piqua, Miami County Dental Clinic, Partners In Hope, Riverside Developmental Disabilities, Samaritan Works, The Edison Foundation, The Future Begins Today, and Troy Area Chamber of Commerce. Silver-level recipients included First Place Food Pantry, Operation Veteran & Caregiver Support, Seeds of Hope, and Tipp City Chamber.

To join the Mosaic of Community Leadership conference mailing list, contact Dr. Rick Hanes by calling 937.778.7806 or emailing.