Leadership Owensboro is a Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce talent development program focused on educating, engaging, and empowering individuals while also exposing participants to a variety of topics and issues.
Objectives of the Program
- Improve the quality of life in the Greater Owensboro region by developing leaders
- Identify key individuals with demonstrated leadership qualities and concern for Owensboro’s future
- Provide participants with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Greater Owensboro community’s opportunities, needs, challenges, and resources
- Expose participants to a wide variety of current local leaders and notable persons through various types of networking opportunities
- Encourage independent thinking, fresh perspectives, and approaches
- Empower participants with relevant community issue knowledge and future possibilities for their engagement in leadership roles
Each year, individuals are selected through a competitive application process to be a part of the Leadership Owensboro program. The Leadership Owensboro Curriculum Committee, comprised of regional community leaders, meets regularly to build agendas for the program to educate the class as much as possible on relevant and timely topics. Program sessions are held monthly from September to May at various locations in our community.
The application window for Leadership Owensboro Class of 2026 (September 2025-June 2026) will open in late June 2025. A link to the application will be available on this page during the application window. Completed applications will be reviewed by the selection committee and invitations to participate in the 43rd Leadership Owensboro Class will be extended by mid-August 2025.
Program Sessions
The program kicks off with a mandatory overnight retreat and concludes with a graduation celebration. The program includes a class session each month, with topics including:
- Economy, Agriculture, and Innovation in our Community
- Education in Our Community
- Human Needs and Services
- Healthcare in Our Community
- Issues in Local Government
- Justice System in Our Community
- Philanthropy, Arts and Culture in our Community
- Changing Your Community
Leadership Owensboro has an alumni base of more than 1,000 civic, business and education leaders.
In addition to attending sessions, class members complete assignments and participate in community meetings and events to meet their graduation requirements.
For additional information about Leadership Owensboro, contact Ashtin Warren.