18 Graduate From Leadership Vance 2026

Leadership Vance just graduated its 35th class, and participants and organizers reflected recently on the impact the program has for people who live or work in Vance County. Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson said the 18 participants formed a bond that will transfer into their work and daily lives. Wilkerson told WIZS that she enjoyed seeing how the class meshed and worked together. 'If you can take 18 people from different jobs, different backgrounds, and bring them together for a certain period of time to get them to work as a complete group, I feel like that's what the accomplishment was all about it,' she said. Granville-Vance Public Health's Robert Bowen, one of the newest graduates, said one of his key takeaways from participating in Leadership Vance was understanding connections in the community. The program helped him have a deeper understanding how his workplace fits into the community, 'realizing how health care impacts education, and education impacts the work force,' he said. Whitney Davis is technical coordinator for Vance County Schools. As a native of Vance County, Davis said Leadership Vance gave her the opportunity to see her community from a completely different perspective. Davis said she learned about local businesses, organizations and the people 'working every day to make Vance County better.' This year's class project involved collecting donations and preparing 'care bags' that were distributed to area agencies, including Maria Parham Health, Vance Recovery and S.A.M. Child Advocacy Center. Davis said participating in the class reminded her of the importance of being involved, 'to give back and be a part of the growth happening right here at home.' Larry West, II was another class participant, said Leadership Vance helped him grow personally and professionally. West is Vance County's resource conservation manager, and he said he highly recommends Leadership Vance to anyone who wants to learn, grow and make a positive difference in Vance County. Leadership Vance is a program for people who may not consider themselves leaders in their workplace or community. The program structure creates ways for people to connect with others and with their community. 'You're definitely going to make connections,' Bowen said. Wilkerson said the leadership program is all about building and growing leaders, and it's also about strengthening connections across the community. This is the eighth group that she's been a part of, and she said the process can be challenging at times, but so very rewarding. 'It's about moving forward and continuing to do the work in the community,' she said. 'It's fun to watch and see how participants continue to grow.' Several 2026 Leadership Vance graduates have already asked to become Chamber ambassadors, which Wilkerson said has been a nice bonus. Look for applications for the 2027 Leadership Vance class in early 2027.