DeKalb LEADS

04/06/2025

Thank you, DeKalb LEADS alumni and all around amazing person, Brandon Park! You’re leading this in our community in so many ways!!!

Employee Spotlight: Brandon Park, Third Shift Patrolman with the Auburn Police Department

Brandon has been serving the City of Auburn for 2 years, and his responsibilities are to maintain a safe and secure community for all residents and visitors.

Favorite part of your job:
“The opportunity to assist citizens in overcoming whatever challenges they may be facing.”

What do you love about the City of Auburn:
“What I love about Auburn is how “all in” the people are here. It is evident that there are many people in our community that are dedicated to the development and well-being of Auburn.”

Are you involved in the community outside of work:
-Assistant Baseball Coach at DeKalb High School
-Secretary of the DeKalb County Fraternal Order of Police
-Member of the Knights of Columbus
-Religious Education teacher at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

Tell us a little about you:
“I enjoy visiting new places and spending time with friends and family.”

Thank you, Officer Park, for your service and dedication to our community!

03/05/2025

Congratulations Tyler!!! So well deserved!
Tyler was also an integral part of getting DeKalb LEADS launched in 2020! His dedication to our community is inspiring!

The Citizen of the Year award was introduced last year to recognize individuals in our community who go above and beyond to make a positive impact.

Nominations are submitted by the public, and we received several deserving candidates. After careful consideration, one individual stood out and was selected by our team for this honor.

This year’s Citizen of the Year, a person who has shown unwavering dedication to improving the well-being of the City of Auburn and DeKalb County as a whole—Tyler Cleverly.

Tyler's commitment to our community is nothing short of inspiring. He has poured his heart into numerous organizations and causes, always striving to make a difference. He has served on various committees and boards, including St. Martin’s Healthcare, NeighborLink DeKalb, Drug Free DeKalb, andYoung Professionals of DeKalb County. But it is his role as Executive Director of the United Way of DeKalb County, Inc. that truly highlights his tireless work to make our community stronger.

Tyler’s work is fueled by his passion for helping others. In 2020, he was honored with the Helping Hand Award from United Way, a well-deserved recognition of his exceptional service.

Through his dedication, Tyler has shown us all what it means to put others first, to serve with integrity, and to work tirelessly for the betterment of our community. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and the positive change he continues to create.

Congratulations, Tyler, on being named Citizen of the Year. Your passion, hard work, and commitment inspire us all to do our part in making the City of Auburn & DeKalb County an even better place to live.

Visit DeKalb County

06/12/2024

Each year the DeKalb LEADS Cohort explores real issues facing DeKalb County, digs into real-world solutions, and works collaboratively with each other and the community to offer ideas and solutions to help. This is what leaders do! They see a problem and they work together to make a difference. Thank you DeKalb LEADS season 4 for making this amazing Community Action Project! Please see the following message from the class and click the link to get involved!

"Dekalb LEADS Season 4 appreciates you taking the time to watch our video. DeKalb County is looking for caring and dedicated individuals to help address the growing need for quality childcare.
Whether you're experienced in childcare or simply eager to make a positive impact, we need your help! Please take a moment to complete our questionnaire, share your story, and explore ways you can get involved.

https://forms.gle/WAvie6fZG3rAEHgy9

Together, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment for the children and families in DeKalb County. Thank you for your willingness to help!"

05/04/2024

While there is so much to celebrate this graduation season- we have one special graduate we’re especially excited to celebrate today! Our very own season 2 alumna, DeKalb Chamber Partnership Executive Director, and friend, Jessica Griffith, graduated today from Trine University with a slew of recognitions!

Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership ✔️
Magna Cum Laude ✔️
Gold Key ✔️
Delta Mu Delta ✔️

All while leading as a working Mom and more! 💙🎓 Now that’s what we call a leader! Congrats, Jessica!!!

04/29/2024

Do you have some questions about DeKalb LEADS? Are you looking to connect with amazing people from DeKalb County? Or do you just want to grab a glass of wine and see where the conversation ? No matter the reason, pop by Acres Away Winery this Thursday night to chat with our team and learn a bit about this amazing experience!
Fortify LEADS

Send a message to learn more

04/23/2024

🕵️‍♂️🙋‍♀️❓Are you searching for more information about DeKalb LEADS? Do you wish you could just sit down with someone to find out what it's all about?
Join us this Wednesday at the Butler Public Library to find out more about this amazing program! If you have questions, we have answers!

Send a message to learn more

04/10/2024

‘We must be culturally competent to be culturally confident.’- Dr. MarTeze Hammonds

At DeKalb LEADS, we're committed to building a community where every voice is heard, valued, and respected. 🗣️💬

Our recent discussions on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI+B) work have been both enlightening and empowering. 💡💪 We believe that embracing diversity not only enriches our community but also fuels innovation and fosters understanding. 🌍✨

We started the day by considering the Rules of Civil Conversations supported by The School of Thought to ensure that we were entering the day with a mindset of curiosity and seeking understanding. Did you know that you can use these tools in your own life and on social media?

We then had the opportunity to welcome Dr. MarTeze Hammonds, Ed.D., from Purdue University Fort Wayne (Purdue University Fort Wayne Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ) to share his expertise around growing our leadership skills to be more ‘culturally competent, so we can be more culturally confident’. Not only is Dr. Hammonds committed to helping leaders learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion- he is so engaging!

Next, we welcomed friends, DeKalb LEADS aluma, and community advocates from DeKalb County Pride - Indiana, April Dobson and Jennifer Hathaway. They shared their personal ‘why’ around their work to create a more welcoming community through connection and consistency.

By welcoming a panel discussion of disability advocates, we heard firsthand what it is like to live in DeKalb County for people with disabilities and their families. DeKalb LEADS Alumna Crystal Church-Stavitzke from Easterseals RISE, Carol Fike-Baker founder of DeKalb Central Schools Unified Sports program and Kendra Hummer who serves as a disability advocate all shared their important insights. As Crystal perfectly stated, “Nothing about us, without us”.

The day wouldn’t have been complete without DeKalb LEADS Alumni and Fortify Life’s , Jeremiah Otis sharing his insight on the importance of understanding socioeconomic diversity in our communities.

Just when you think DeKalb County doesn’t ‘have a lot of diversity’, it’s easy to see just how important bringing more people to the leadership table actually is!

Together, we're creating a supportive environment where everyone can thrive, regardless of background or identity. 🌟 Join us on this journey of learning, collaboration, and meaningful change! 💼🤝

Applications for next year’s program are now open!

04/03/2024

We recently held a successful first Coffee Talk! Steering Committee member, Carrie Wisehart stopped by to say hello!

Our Coffee Talk included folks passionate about making a positive impact in DeKalb County and curious about leadership opportunities. We all learned more about the DeKalb LEADS' county-wide leadership development program over a cup of coffee!

DeKalb LEADS empowers individuals to become effective leaders, fostering growth and positive change within our community. We support our class to Lead, Engage, Activate, Develop, and Serve! Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your leadership journey, there's a place for you in our program!

Applications are now open for our next LEADS cohort! Visit https://fortifyleads.org/dekalb-leads/ to get started!

04/02/2024

February DeKalb LEADS recently came together where our focus was on health and wellbeing. The group learned about DeKalb County’s Wellbeing with a great group of community leaders and organizations. Check out photos from our day at https://fortifyleads.org/dekalb-leads-gathers-info-on-health-wellbeing/

PS... Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just starting your leadership journey, there’s a place for you in our DeKalb LEADS program! Applications are open for our next cohort. Use the link above to get more info!