Class of 2003-2004

Hancock County Flag Design

Problem Statement:

Flag would be a unifying representation of Hancock County and could be displayed by various commercial, governmental, community or private entities.

Solution: Flag designs created, final flag selected

Symbolism of Flag Elements
- Green and yellow colors symbolize the County’s agricultural heritage
- The upper left “green field” also alludes to the city of Greenfield, the county seat and the County’s largest community.
- The diagonal white stripe symbolizes the National Road (US 40)
- The large, centered white disk symbolizes the progress and prosperity of the County
- The nine gold stars symbolize the nine townships of the County
- The number 1828 represents the year the County was formed
- The graphic represents the Hancock County Courthouse
Approved as the Hancock County Flag by the Hancock County Commissioners on March 29, 2004

Group Members:

Charlie Bridenthal
Shelby Hoover
Mike Perigo
Debbie Powell
Darren Turner

MOB: Monitors on Buses Program

Statement of Problem:

Number of school bus incidents continue to increase in spite of the installation of cameras
Safe School Legislation will require schools to identify and prevent bullying

Solution: MOB- Monitors On Buses program created

Designed to be the enforcement arm of the School Safety Specialist Training and Certification Program
- Identifying, preventing, and intervening in bullying in school bus transportation
Monitors would volunteer their time and be a dedicated set of eyes to ensure enforcement
- Bus drivers must maintain attention to driving conditions, other motorists, possible hazards, etc.
Volunteer program would pair up interested individuals with various bus routes ensuring safer transportation for Hancock County children

Group Members:

Michael Dale
Ken Davidson
Jodi Pruitt
Christine Rapp
Candy Short

The Class of 2017-18 wrapped up its final class day on March 7 and is now fully pivoting to finish up its group projects.

The results of those six projects will be presented at the class's graduation celebration on May 2 at Bradley Hall in downtown Greenfield.

The class finished its official studies with a two-part seminar on "situational leadership" led by Steve Long, CEO of Hancock Health. Long led an insightful discussion about methods people can use to inspire those they lead. As the class learned, leaders often have to mold their approach to be successful. "Successful leadership is a partnership" between leaders and those they supervise, he said.

That approach upends the thinking of traditional top-down management theory, but Long told the class organizations can't be successful until their leaders have the vision to tailor their approach to make their messages resonate.

The class also were the guests of honor at an alumni luncheon, which made its return after an absence of a few years. About 60 people attended the event, which was held the Greenfield-Central Educational Services Center.

The class also toured Hancock Regional Hospital, which played host to the group for the day. Hancock Health is a major supporter of the program.

Founded in 1996, Leadership Hancock County was conceived as a pipeline of sorts for emerging leaders. Since then, more than 400 people have gone through our program. On that roster of graduates are CEOs, political leaders, educators and key managers in dozens of organizations.
Our program works to foster leadership skills in promising students in an immersive, eight-month study of our communities and the qualities that go into making strong leaders. Along the way, enrollees learn how to work as part of a team, and they gain valuable insights into how to communicate effectively and contribute to their organizations in impactful ways.
If you or someone in your organization is on a leadership track in your organization, we'd love to hear from you.