A commencement ceremony and dinner were held on May 11 in honor of the Leadership Carbon Class of 2022 at the American Legion Post 314 in Lehighton.

Leadership Carbon is an adult leadership development program through the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Office in partnership with the Lehigh Carbon Community College Center for Leadership and Workforce Development.

The program is designed to cultivate action-oriented community leaders who are committed to benefiting the community. This year’s program focused on education, government, media, history, emergency management and health care, and culminated with a class project that spotlights first responders.

Allison Andrews, an employee at St Luke’s University Health Network, said the group organized an event titled First Responders Expo of Carbon County: Get to Know Us. The event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. June 16 at the Mahoning Movie Drive-in. Admission is free. The event will feature demonstrations, firetrucks, helicopters, family activities, and food trucks for dining.

Andrews said the idea for the event came after her class went to the Lehighton firehouse and met with Jim Thorpe’s police chief, a state trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police, an officer from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lehighton fire chief. Her class learned about the roles each play in protecting the community.

“When we got back to class that day, it was definitely apparent that we needed to do something to highlight our first responders of Carbon County,” she said.

The goal of the event is to give the community an opportunity to meet first responders and learn more about their work, as well as volunteer and career opportunities, Andrews said.

Another one of the graduates and a Carbon County native, Matthew Shupp, from Carbon Search and Settlement, said he learned about the leadership program at a Carbon Chamber event.

“I wanted to get involved in some way, so I figured this would be a good way to start with the Carbon Chamber Leadership program,” he said.

Shupp said the program has given him perspective into the range of businesses within Carbon County.

Young people don’t always realize or appreciate all of the opportunities in their hometowns, said his mother, Connie Christman.

“I was proud that he wanted to find out more about Carbon County,” she said. “I think the program is amazing.”

In addition to Andrews and Shupp, the graduates include: Christina Tomsic and Brian McElmoyle, both from Lehigh Valley Health Network; Kassandra Alamo, Christina Urban and Timothy Klotz, all from Mauch Chunk Trust Co.; Kathleen Reilly, Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau; Nora Ziegenfus, Pencor Services Inc.; Diane Motel, Wildlands Conservancy; Ben Winn, Pocono Counties Workforce Development; Bambi Elsasser, Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp.; Desha Utsick, Dreams by Desha; Jennifer Boger, County of Carbon; and Noulagh Kelly, Kelly Iron Works Inc.

“This particular leadership class has really risen to the occasion,” said Maureen Donovan, the assistant director of Workforce and Community Service at LCCC.

Donovan said the students persevered through classes both virtual and in-person during COVID-19 when they weren’t always sure how to proceed.

“Part of leadership is being able to be flexible,” she said. “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not get bent out of shape. … We need to be able to be flexible, because that’s what leaders do. They rise to the occasion, and they do what is necessary at a certain time.”

Other speakers during the event were Alice Wanamaker, the executive director of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development/Lehigh Valley Chamber; Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein; and state Rep. Doyle Heffley.

In addition to the Carbon Chamber and LCCC, the event was sponsored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mauch Chunk Trust Co. and Blue Mountain Resort. The First Responder event is sponsored by Mauch Chunk Trust, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network.