Patton Leadership Institute Holds Seventh Session in Johnson County

PIKEVILLE, KY (April 10, 2024) – The Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Patton Leadership Institute (PLI) held its seventh session in Johnson County on Thursday, April 4, 2024. The cohort visits a different county each session. PLI will visit Letcher County on May 2, 2024.

The cohort met at the Big Sandy Community and Technical College Mayo Campus in Paintsville where they received a welcome from Chief Workforce and Marketing Officer, Rachelle Burchett.  Director of Business/Industry Development, Joyce Wilcox, let the group on a tour of the Dental Assisting Program facilities, followed by tours of the Construction Technology and Welding Technology facilities.

Rachelle Burchett then led the group through a condensed version of her highly sought-after Communications Training: It’s Not Personal, It’s Personality, where the group learned about their different communication styles and how to most effectively work with those of different styles from their own.

The cohort then travelled to East Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI), where they learned about how Eastern Kentucky is home to cutting-edge robotics manufacturing courses that can offer those who are returning to the workforce or who do not want to take the college route a quality education and the opportunity for employment once they have completed the 20-week program. Executive Director, Barbie Bussey took the group on a tour of the expansive facilities and spoke with the group about the important work eKAMI does for the region.

Blake Moss, Public Administration Specialist for the Big Sandy Area Development District, said, “Taking part in PLI is such a great opportunity that helps me succeed in my daily work because we work closely with a lot of the organizations that PLI visits. Touring eKAMI today was such an interesting experience because it displays that eastern Kentucky does have the capabilities to attract good jobs in manufacturing and has many stakeholders working hard at developing a skilled workforce for the modern economy.”

To end the day, the group met with Paintsville Tourism Director, Jeremiah Parsons, at the US 23 Country Music Highway Museum where they heard about tourism in Johnson County and to tour the museum.

Patton Leadership Institute is a leadership development program of the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. PLI is made up of leaders from across the Chamber’s eight-county region. Participants attend nine sessions over a nine-month period, and the curriculum weaves together topics crucial to the development of community such as education, economic development, healthcare, energy, tourism, and government. Leadership skills are integrated into each session.

For more information about the Chamber or PLI visit them online at www.sekchamber.com or call 606.432.5504

The Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is located at 178 College Street in Pikeville and serves more than 500 businesses in eight Eastern Kentucky Counties: Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, and Pike. The Chamber’s mission is to serve the businesses of Southeastern Kentucky through a commitment to networking, advocacy, education, and collaboration as we partner together to enhance the business climate in our region.

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