Butler County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Butler County class has more participating professionals in 2022 than ever before.

The group has chosen two nonprofits to help this year as part of the projects: Glade Run Lake Conservancy and the Butler Health System Food Institute.

Jordan Grady, executive director of the chamber of commerce and administrator for the class said the increased participants contributed to the goal of two projects.

“Other classes had a cutoff of 25 people. With 32 members (this year), the biggest class ever, they were motivated because of having extra bodies to accomplish this,” he said.

The class plans to volunteer to clean up and maintain landscapes around the lake, as well as update signage for better access throughout the park, Grady said.

“Glade Run is 100% run by volunteers, it’s a high-traffic tourism and community area,” he said. “Some landscape needs a bit of a facelift. This is an easy part of the project the class can take on by offering a few days to volunteer to clean up those areas.”

Grady added that updating the signs can contribute to a better flow of visitors and help them understand the park.

“It’s an amazing attraction in Middlesex Township,” he said of the park.

The Glade Run project is slated to begin with a work day in mid-spring and be completed by summer.

For the Food Institute, the project will mainly concern raising funds to help get community members materials for healthy eating.

“(The institute) is trying to create an awareness of healthy foods and how to prepare and consume it,” Grady said. “It allows clients to receive healthy meals and utensils, pots and pans to help them prepare healthy meals. Raising funds for it will increase and help them when addressing need in communities.”

The class will hold a “stock your freezer” fundraiser, which will allow participants to receive local, farm fresh meats and even a grill from local donations, with benefits going to the Food Institute. Grady said they’ll also hold the annual Murder Mystery Dinner at the Atrium on April 2.

“This years theme is ‘It’s Murder Charlie Brown,’ and three actors from Pittsburgh will come and perform, while each table has to guess who’s responsible for the ‘murder,’” he said.

Grady said each leadership class of which he’s been a part is different, and members have stepped up to the plate in new ways this year.

“Leadership is always very unique every year. You’re pulling together professionals who’ve met each other, it’s cool to see how each class comes together,” he said. “This year, two people immediately approached me and wanted to be co-chairs of the class, Justin Pott from Armstrong Company and Megan Boyle from the VA hospital, and they’ve made my job easier.”

A pillar of the Leadership Class is community development, according to Grady, and there’s no better way to see it than taking on a community project and seeing it from start to finish.

“Kudos to (this class) for being ambitious and wanting to do two projects and help the community,” Grady said.