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Pinckneyville kicks off community leadership series

BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, The Southern

Thursday, September 4, 2008 5:42 PM CDT

PINCKNEYVILLE — Fielding questions from an audience gathered Friday to kick off a new community leadership series, Southern Illinois University president Glenn Poshard spoke about how to get from Point A to Point B in an effective manner.

“Some issues can only be decided by a vote. How you get there though is what counts. For communities with issues, leadership has a way of figuring those things out with a middle ground,” Poshard told his audience.

Afterwards, the SIU president spoke about how SIU can assist Pinckneyville in developing potential community leaders through the town’s nine-month program designed to teach a class of 12 selectees the mechanics of leadership through different type of institutions including education and municipal government.

“The university has a responsibility to provide service to Southern Illinois through cooperation and shared resources. This regional cooperation is very important. Southern Illinois University and Southern Illinois are one of the same,” Poshard said.

Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce president Chuck Dobrinick said he was especially impressed with Poshard’s message that leadership begins within people’s hearts.

“His (Poshard’s) whole leadership position is that there’s a sense of consciousness you develop. Your decisions are based on that. You’ve got to eliminate personal prejudice. It’s about us, not me. Most good decisions are good compromise,” Dobrinick said.

The chamber president said he hopes through the course of the nine-month program that program participants will find their passion.

“Too often we sit around coffee shops and beauty parlors and complain about things. This (program) is about you having to take some ownership. Be true to yourself. We hope we inspire you to become more involved,” Dobrinick told the audience.

Leadership training for interested Pinckneyville residents began this summer with panel discussions from local personalities and others who climbed the ladder of success such as Bill Norwood, a former Southern Illinois University quarterback and retired United Airlines pilot; state Sen. Dave Luechtefled, R-Okawville and Nicholette Dolin, community development specialist for the Illinois Coalition for Community Services.