Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chadwell Taking Part In LeadAR

Jon Chadwell of Prescott is one of 35 men and women selected from across the state to take part in LeadAR, a leadership development program sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

Chadwell recently attended a three-day seminar focusing on major issues facing the state, including agriculture, education, the environment and the criminal justice system.

The seminar was the first of 12 seminars that Chadwell and the other LeadAR participants will take part in during the next two years, according to Dr. Joe Waldrum, LeadAR director. The LeadAR program will also include a national and an international study tour. In addition, each participant is asked to select and complete a service project for their community by the end of the program.

The purpose of the seminars and tours is to enhance leadership skills and give participants a better understanding of key economic and social issues facing Arkansas and the nation, Waldrum said.

LeadAR was begun in 1984 with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The program is now funded by the Extension Service, private foundations, companies, individuals and organizations in Arkansas.

Chadwell and other members of his LeadAR class were selected from a large field of qualified candidates based on their applications and personal interviews. Selection criteria included proven leadership potential and work in the community.

His class is the tenth to participate in LeadAR since the program was begun by the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.