Leadership Butler County class of 2025 underway
Leadership Butler County isn’t just a day off work, Mark Buchek, chairman of the program's board of directors said.
The program, which is entering its 32nd year, involves a commitment from both the participants in the class and their employers, which helps give those in the class exposure to many different sectors and industries across Butler County.
Leadership Butler County is designed to bring people from different industries together to build upon their skills, which culminates with a class project.
Its 2025 class visited the Butler Eagle during the morning of Friday, Dec. 6 where they were given a tour of the printing press and newsroom.
“It is an employer-sponsored program,” Buchek said. “You have to get a sign-off from your employer. Generally they are the ones paying the tuition. Days like these are not a day off work. They are paying your salary as well as the tuition to come and attend all these sessions.”
Later in the day, the 2025 class, which consists of 26 people, also visited Armstrong’s customer service center and moving forward, they will have sessions with employers in the manufacturing and agriculture industries among others.
“The whole program looks to open up everybody's eyes to all these things that they don't see,” Buchek said. “For example, they may know of the Butler Eagle and drive by this building, but they have no clue what is going on inside. To be able to take them here, Armstrong or something like Marburger Dairy, it gives them that additional insight that we hope they pull into themselves and what they do in the future as a potential leader in their company or community.”
Each class is defined by its class project, which always aims to serve an area or organization within Butler County.
The 2024 class chose to raise funds to aid the revitalization of the Prospect Boys and Girls Club baseball field in Butler.
The 2025 class project is not set in stone, but Buchek said the class has a very good idea of what it is looking to do.
The class will finalize its project decision in the coming days and the results will be posted on the Butler County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.
Philip Thompson, Leadership Butler County’s class chairman of 2025, said the class also is exploring fundraising opportunities for the project itself, outside of its Murder Mystery Dinner event which is its main fundraiser every year.
“It's just new to everyone,” Thompson said. “We are just trying to find our footing and making sure we are doing a good job. This is a great class and organization as a whole. There are a lot of good things that have happened in the past, and we want to hold ourselves up to that standard.”
Thompson said throughout the course of the class, he hopes to develop relationships with people in the area that are really trying to help the community.
“We are learning how important our community is via all these different places we go to,” Thompson said. “It's really eye opening to how big Butler County is. Finding out how important things happen in our little town.”
During the class’s visit to the Butler Eagle, they heard from a panel of government officials, including Slippery Rock Mayor Jondavid Longo, state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, Butler Township Commissioner David Rice, state Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-12th and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy.
“I think it helps make a connection in that (government officials) are humans just like us,” Buchek said. “Just because their job is different and they are in government, they are just like you and me. A cool example is David Rice, a Butler Township commissioner was sitting on the panel today and he was in last year's class. I think that's neat for the class to see.”
The panel spoke generally on many topics such as government policies, business development and others, while also explaining to the class how important they feel Leadership Butler County is.
“You have a chance to meet people from all walks of life,” Longo said. “Meeting people like you helps us learn more about what we need to do as well.”
