By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

Missouri’s Harry Truman once said that he found that the men and women who were leaders and got to the top were folks who did their work with “energy and enthusiasm and hard work.”

Those three qualities were evident in the first-ever Leadership Dexter class that graduated last week.

The Leadership Dexter program is one of the initiatives of Dexter Chamber of Commerce President Ed Gargas, and is designed to motivate and inspire a new generation of leaders in the community.

Gargas had the opportunity to participate in the first Leadership Cape Girardeau class, and the experience left a lasting impression on this year’s Chamber of Commerce president.

“It just opened my eyes to the to the community and to the avenues to use to get this accomplished for the community,” Gargas said. So when Cooper Lape approached the Chamber Board of Directors with the idea of establishing a similar program in Dexter, Gargas was wholeheartedly behind the initiative.

The class began meeting in January with six members : Kyle Christian, Amy Ellinghouse, Tyler Wagner, Ken Harris, Bobby Greer and Chris Hyten.

Each month the class met to learn and had the opportunity to learn more about the “cogs” in the wheel that make the community move. Topics they explored include:

• City government
• Area agriculture
• Education
• Healthcare
• Industry

“The program was a huge success this year ,” Gargas said. He noted the first class had young professionals in several different areas of Dexter’s business and professional community. And he hopes that the success of the first year will lead to success in the future.

“We are looking forward to this program growing, and continuing to be an important part in Dexter’s growth and vitality,” Gargas said. “Each member of this year’s class has made a commitment to helping the program continue and move forward and making a real difference in Dexter.”

Photo Above: The first Leadership Dexter class marked its completion last week. Class members include (seated, from left) Kyle Christian, Amy Ellinghouse, Tyler Wagner; and (standing) Ken Harris, Chamber of Commerce President Ed Gargas Robert Greer; not pictured is Chris Hyten. (Dexter Chamber of Commerce photo).