Leadership Tuscarawas

09/10/2026

Leadership Tuscarawas Community Bus Tour, September 8, 2026.

Another successful Leadership Tuscarawas Community Bus Tour is in the books!

With a picture-perfect blue sky and warm temperatures, our 2026–2027 Leadership Tuscarawas class enjoyed a full day of learning, connection, and discovery as we explored the people, organizations, businesses, and services that help make Tuscarawas County a wonderful place to live, work, and grow.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to our knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide, Dee Grossman, Executive Director of the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dee once again did an outstanding job sharing the history, stories, and unique qualities of our community while keeping the day moving with energy and enthusiasm.

We are also incredibly grateful to Mr. Jeff Mathias for his longstanding support of Leadership Tuscarawas. Jeff exemplifies what servant leadership looks like in our community, and we appreciate his continued commitment to helping develop and inspire future leaders.

Our day included visits to:
• Dennison Depot Railroad Museum
• Carlene Farms
• Advocates for Success
• Superb Industries
• Hoodletown and Farmers Market
• Allied Machine
• Our City Coffee
• Tuscarawas County Homeless Shelter
• New Philadelphia Fire Department

At each stop, our class was welcomed by community leaders who generously shared their time, knowledge, experiences, and passion for what they do. From agriculture and manufacturing to nonprofit organizations, small businesses, community services, and public safety, each visit offered a unique perspective on the many ways individuals and organizations are contributing to the strength and vitality of Tuscarawas County.

The day was a wonderful reminder that servant leadership is happening all around us. Our class had the opportunity to see leadership in action, learn about the challenges and opportunities facing our community, and build connections with people who are making a difference every day.

And, of course, a special shout-out to our outstanding 2026–2027 Leadership Tuscarawas class! Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and willingness to learn made the day even more enjoyable. We are excited to see where this incredible group of leaders will take their experiences throughout the year.

At the end of the day, Michele Spring – Milburn coordinated a well-attended after-tour happy hour reception at Pilot Brewhouse. Great turnout and enjoyed by all!

Overall, it was another memorable and enriching Leadership Tuscarawas programming day—and a great reminder of the incredible people and organizations that make our community special.

Thank you to everyone who welcomed us, shared their stories, and helped make the 2026 Community Bus Tour a success!

09/10/2026

MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TUSCARAWAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

This week we’re highlighting Freda Martin, one of the newer faces on the Leadership Tuscarawas Board and our recently elected Treasurer! 👏

Freda has already become a wonderful addition to our board, bringing her talents, perspective, and willingness to serve to Leadership Tusc. We’re so excited to have her stepping into this important leadership role and grateful for her commitment to our organization and community.

Congratulations, Freda! We’re lucky to have you on the Leadership Tusc team!

09/09/2026

What a great night!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out for our Alumni Happy Hour last night! It was so much fun catching up, reconnecting, sharing some laughs and spending time with such much a great group.

We hope everyone had a great night, and we can’t wait to do it again! 🥂

09/07/2026

TOMORROW, LT ALUMNI!! 🍻

Grab your classmates, stop by after work, have a drink and catch up with some of your favorite LT people at our Alumni Happy Hour at Pilot Brewhouse from 4:30–6:30 PM!

All LT alumni are welcome, the more, the merrier! Tag your LT crew and tell them you’ll see them there! 🍻

🍻 Happy Hour is back!!

Come hang out with the Leadership Tuscarawas community for an evening of good drinks, great conversation, and even better connections.

LT alumni, current class members, future applicants, friends — everyone is welcome!

📍 Pilot Brewhouse
📅 September 8th | 4:30–6:30 PM

Tag someone who should join you! ⬇️

08/24/2026

🍻 Happy Hour is back!!

Come hang out with the Leadership Tuscarawas community for an evening of good drinks, great conversation, and even better connections.

LT alumni, current class members, future applicants, friends — everyone is welcome!

📍 Pilot Brewhouse
📅 September 8th | 4:30–6:30 PM

Tag someone who should join you! ⬇️

08/18/2026

The opening retreat for the 2026–2027 Leadership Tuscarawas class is officially in the books. This is our 24th class!!

We kicked off an exciting new program year August 13–14 at Mohican Lodge & Conference Center with an outstanding group of emerging and established community leaders.

A special thank-you to Carol Mace from Kent State Tuscarawas and our expert facilitators—Faith Sheaffer-Polen, Anne Bruno, and Matt Johnson—for helping launch the year with an engaging, meaningful, and inspiring opening program. We are especially excited to introduce a new programmatic model for Leadership Tuscarawas this year.

The 2026–2027 Leadership Tuscarawas model focuses on developing leaders prepared to strengthen Tuscarawas County through courageous leadership, collaboration, and community engagement. Inspired by Brené Brown’s book, "Dare to Lead" (2018), the program integrates evidence-based leadership practices with real-world community experiences.

Over the next ten months, participants will build the mindset, skills, and relationships needed to lead effectively within their organizations and across the community. The principles of courageous leadership will serve as a common thread throughout the program year.

At the heart of the experience is the LEAD TUSC framework:

L — Learn Yourself
E — Engage With Courage
A — Act on Values
D — Develop Trust
-----
T — Think Strategically
U — Unite Community
S — Service Beyond Self
C — Create Impact

Each program module throughout the year intentionally connects to one or more elements of this framework, reflecting a core belief of Leadership Tuscarawas: effective community leadership begins with personal growth and culminates in collective impact.

We are looking forward to an incredible year of learning, connection, leadership development, and service to Tuscarawas County!

08/14/2026

V2.0 c2026-2027 lass photo where everyone can be seen!!

08/13/2026

05/13/2026

May 12, 2026. Leadership Tuscarawas celebrated the graduation of the largest class in the program’s history on a beautiful spring evening. Thirty-five participants successfully completed the 10-month leadership development program and were presented with framed certificates during a ceremony held at the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Sarah Andreas presented a capstone lesson on "The Two Sides of Leadership Success" and Wendy Zucal presented her always popular session on "Wendy's Top 10 Lessons for Success". Closing out the programming for the day, Board President Ethan Zucal and Board member Michele Spring-Milburn welcomed the graduating class to the Alumni group.

The evening ceremony featured the presentation of the prestigious annual Alumni Award of Excellence to Michelle Campbell. The award was presented by her husband, Sheriff Orvis Campbell, and Leadership Tuscarawas board member Michele Spring-Milburn.

Graduates showcased the impact of their year-long collaborative projects through presentations on seven community initiatives:

* American Red Cross — Community Awareness and Visibility Project
* TuscBDD — Building an Inclusive Community Accessibility Project
* Rainbow Connection — Financial Literacy Project
* Tuscarawas County Health Department — Newcomerstown Blessing Box Initiative
* TuscLands — Tuscarawas County Green Space Plans
* Empower TUSC — Membership Engagement Project
* Kent State Tuscarawas Engineering Program — Enrollment Management Project

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates and remarks from Dr. Brad Bielski, Dean and Chief Academic Officer at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

Graduating Class Members include:

Jami Bailey, City of New Philadelphia; Daniel Bias, The Commercial & Savings Bank; Anne Bruno, Bruno Consulting, LLC; Andrew Burrell, The Timken Company; Emma Triplett, Tuscarawas County Health Department; Becky Clough, Mako's Market; Michael Cornell, Groovfold, Inc.; Rachel Dunfee, Common Pleas Court, Tuscarawas County; Chris Edwards, SIMONA Boltaron; Kurtis Eisermann, Kent State University at Tuscarawas; Samantha (Sam) Farmery, Tuscarawas County BDD; Bobbi Jo Gadfield, First Federal Community Bank; Nicole Gardner, DoverPhila Federal Credit Union; Jessica Garren, First National Bank of Dennison; Alicia Hall, TuscoMFG; Kris Howell, Philosophy of Pie; Richard (Chuck) Leffler, R&J Cylinder and Machine; John Lewis, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Audrey Mattevi, Pageantry Innovations, LLC; Brandon Meinke, Dover Chemical; Caitlin McCaslin, Allied Machine & Engineering; Kelsey McConaha, DoverPhila Federal Credit Union; Catherine (Cathie) McCulloch, First Federal Community Bank; Madison Moore, CHW, Tuscarawas County Senior Center; Rose Paul, Buckeye Career Center; Christopher (Chris) Pleska, The Commercial & Savings Bank; Christine Quickel, Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Trista Recchiuti, Baltic State Bank; Christina (Tina) Romell, Tuscarawas County Probate and Juvenile Court; Monica Roush, Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital; Dylan Sayre, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Aleisha Stout, Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board; Tonya Thomas, ALCO Services, LLC; Andrea Tyson, East Central Ohio Educational Service Center; and Erin Wright, Spicer Group.

05/12/2026