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.
Leadership Owensboro Nominations Now Closed
Thank you for the overwhelming support of this impactful program! We are excited to share that we received a record number of nominations for the Leadership Owensboro Class of 2026.
We now look forward to the next step—receiving applications from nominees. The application deadline is July 29, 2025.
Class of 2026 Schedule
Please see the schedule below and block the full day (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) to attend class sessions unless otherwise noted.
- Thursday, September 18 – Friday, September 19, 2025
- Mandatory overnight retreat at Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Owensboro Downtown/Waterfront
- Thursday, October 23, 2025 (Economy and Innovation)
- Thursday, November 13, 2025 (Education in our Community)
- Thursday, December 18, 2025 (Human Needs and Services)
- Thursday, January 22, 2026 (Healthcare in our Community)
- Thursday, February 12, 2026 (tentative)
- Optional: Owensboro Day in Frankfort (Graduation Points granted for attendance)
- Thursday, February 19, 2026 (C. Waitman Taylor Jr. Government Day)
- Thursday, March 19, 2026 (Justice Day)
- Thursday, April 16, 2026 (Philanthropy and Arts & Culture in our Community Day)
- Thursday, May 21, 2026 (Changing Our Community Day)
- Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 7:30 a.m. / 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Graduation Day)
- Morning: Leadership Owensboro graduates presented to the community at Rooster Booster
- Evening: Graduation Celebration & Reception (Remarks at 5:15 p.m.)
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.