Community leaders think big, deliver bigger
They tackle not one, but five service projects.
By BETH N. GREY, Times Correspondent
Published November 5, 2007
H. Paul Douglas, class president of Leadership Hernando 2007, is a private consultant dealing in energy- and environmental-related issues with H.P. Douglas and Associates.
The rest of the class:
Jason Cheladyn, Cheladyn Enterprises
John DiRienzo Jr., Spring Hill Christian Academy
Deidre Fletcher, Days Inn
Andre Ford, Corrections Corporation of America
Corey Lively, Brooksville Regional Hospital
Teri Lyon, Tony Lyon Enterprises
Pooney Maharaj, Hernando County Development Services
Dennis McKenna, Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce
Alex McPherson, Coastal Engineering Associates
Laurie Pizzo, Century 21 Alliance Realty
Steven Porter, Hernando County Sheriff's Office
Peggy Prentice, Hernando County Clerk of Court's Office
Christine Quigley, Capital City Bank
Emilia Rais, Hernando BuildersAssociation
Stephen Schurdell, WJQB-FM 106.3
Charles Snider, Oak Hill Hospital
Mike Walker, Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department
Ronald Watford, Hernando Christian Academy
Donna Wood, Sheriff's Office
The Leadership Hernando Class of 2007 took on a bigger bite of community service than any of the 16 classes before them. But the volunteer efforts proved to be something the 20 members readily chewed and swallowed.
The class's sponsor, the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce, mandates that each annual group choose a service project in the nonprofit sector that will benefit the community.
Paul Douglas of Brooksville, elected class president, explained the process and undertakings.
"We held a meeting, and we wanted everybody to suggest a project," he said. "When you put it on the table, you have to sell it to every member of the class."
Five projects were laid out to do good for the Arc Nature Coast, the Humane Society of the Nature Coast, Jericho Road Ministries' Mary's House, the Dawn Center and the Spring Hill Community Association Lake House.
Douglas, 62, suggested to his classmates after the presentations, "Let's do them all."
"Everybody said, 'Why not?'" he said.
The projects have been completed. The class graduatesThursday, after the group finishes 13 leadership sessions.
So the group decided to do more. Although the class has gathered $60,000 to finalize its projects for the nonprofits, the agencies are still in need, Douglas said. The two added efforts are fundraisers.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday is a charity dinner at Palace Grand in Spring Hill. Proceeds from the $60-a-plate - two for $100 - dinner will benefit the same agencies for which the class has already volunteered services. Tickets, limited to 250, are available until Wednesday from the chamber at 796-0697 or from any class member. Douglas hopes to raise $10,000.
Tommy Bronson, owner of Brooksville Country Club at Majestic Oaks and one of the pioneers in the mining industry in Hernando County, will be the speaker.
"He is truly apropos of what we stand for," Douglas said.
Carrabba's Italian Grill will cater.
Next on the class agenda is a sale of Wal-Mart merchandise at 9 a.m. Saturday at the retailer's distribution center off Kettering Road in Ridge Manor West.
It is normal for the distribution center to conduct an annual sale of goods in damaged packaging that it couldn't forward to its stores. This year, Wal-Mart is giving proceeds to the Leadership class to further its giving.
"Two tractor-trailer loads," Douglas said, "anything and everything," including clothing, toys, toiletries and big-screen TVs. "The only thing is, the boxes are cracked," he said.
Although Douglas said prices will be pennies on the dollar, he envisions raising $10,000 to $20,000.
"If that's the case, it will put us over $100,000, which is pretty good. Nobody in the Leadership class has ever done that."
Chamber executive Pat Crowley acknowledged the extraordinary effort of this year's class.
"This class has gone above and beyond," she said. "This is the first time the class has taken on projects of this magnitude."
Details of the projects:
-Through grant-writing, the class won a $5,000 contribution from the Community Foundation of Hernando County to help Jericho Road Ministries fund to establish Mary's House, a way station with outreach services for homeless women.
-Similarly, the class obtained a $5,000 grant from the foundation for the Dawn Center, a haven for families escaping domestic violence. The class donated an additional $2,800.
-At the Humane Society shelter, class members acquired fencing, then worked in heat and rain to construct eight new kennels for homeless pets.
-Renovation work was the class calling at the Arc Nature Coast.
-On the grounds of the Lake House, members reconstructed a quarter-mile rustic mulch path from the house to Hunter's Lake. They rounded up donations of mulch and front-loaders and, with gardening tools, completed the job. They also are promoting contributions of $250 to install benches along the trail.
"There's a lot of sweat equity," Crowley said. "There's never a monetary figure put on that."
Class members or their employers paid $500 for each enrollee to attend the Leadership program.
Douglas, who hinted that he was older than his fellow classmates - most of whom are younger professionals - said, "I was working with a whole lot of energetic people. If you don't out-think them, you're in trouble."
Beth Gray can be reached at graybethn@earthlink.net.Fast facts
Still at work
The Leadership Hernando Class of 2007 has two fundraisers scheduled this week.
- There will be a charity dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Palace Grand in Spring Hill. Proceeds from the $60-a-plate - two for $100 - dinner will benefit nonprofit agencies in Hernando. Tickets are available until Wednesday from the chamber at 796-0697 or from any class member.
- A benefit sale of merchandise in damaged packaging will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center on Kettering Road in Ridge Manor West.