NEWS

Who are the next leaders of Coshocton?

Kate Snyder
Reporter
Jason Given, Coshocton County Prosecutor

COSHOCTON - The wellness of a community often depends on not only present leaders but those who will take their place in the future. Those between the ages of 25 and 40 are next in line to inherit this community, which may leave some people wondering who those up-and-coming leaders are.

The following residents are a few that were submitted to the Tribune in response to questions online and in the newspaper asking who might be the next leaders of our community.

Emily Adams

Emily Adams

Leadership activities: United Way Board, Coshocton County Farm Bureau, Lions Club Minstrel Show, Fresno Bible Church

How do we get more people to be engaged and involved in the community?

There is a difference in philosophy about community involvement from generation to generation. In general for many Baby Boomers, community came first. Civic engagement and loyalty to employers trumped time with family. For many Gen-Xers raised in that environment, we decided that family would come first at the expense of volunteering.  I think there has to be a balance. My desire to be more involved in the community is because I have been encouraged by other women. They are informal mentors who inspire me to be active, because they’ve convinced me that the world is run by the people who show up.

Why is it important that Coshocton have engaged, young leaders? 

My examples were my parents and my friends’ parents. I learned from them that the way things happen is with volunteers. And I learned at a very early age, mainly through church and 4-H, that I belong to my community. The role of my community was not to serve me; my role was to serve my community.

What’s your favorite part about Coshocton?

This is my home. I was drawn back to this place in a way that I can’t explain. This county is so full of beauty. It used to embarrass me when my dad would refer to Coshocton County as God’s country, because since God created everything, how could I think this place was more special than any other? Now I have seen many places in our state, country and world, and there truly is no place I would rather live and raise my children.

Tiffany Swigert

Tiffany Swigert

Leadership activities: Regional Planning Director, Safety Coordinator, American Red Cross Blood Drive Coordinator, United Way Public Employee Campaign Co-Chair, Vice-President of the Coshocton Basketball Boosters and NewPointe Community Church volunteer.

How do we get more people to be engaged and involved in the community? 

The continuation of programs such as Leadership Coshocton County that educate our community about the various topics that are vital to the successful operation of Coshocton County are necessary.  Employer support and encouragement is crucial.  I would encourage employers to nominate an employee for Leadership Coshocton County and support them in the completion of the leadership days. Encourage an employee to join Coshocton Rotary Club or Kiwanis. It is guaranteed the benefits will not only personally impact the employee, but it will positively impact their work environment and promote others positive actions. My employer is incredibly supportive with the time I serve supporting United Way and American Red Cross.

Why is it important that Coshocton have engaged, young leaders? 

The future of Coshocton relies upon the engagement of our young leaders. We must learn from those of greater experience to effectively lead our future generations. Tom Leech was an incredible mentor. We were able to have discussions that really made you think about all sides of a topic. I am encouraged by young local business owners such as Kirby and Amy Hasseman, Matt and Valerie Miller and the Greg and Thad Coffman and family that showed the desire and dedication to develop and continue to operate successful businesses in Coshocton.

What’s your favorite part about Coshocton?

The members of our community. My husband jokes he can’t get me through a store in a timely fashion. I enjoy knowing people and understanding their stories. The small town atmosphere of everyone being neighbors is beautiful to me. I have been told you should never attempt life alone and there are some amazing people that I get to do life with.

Jesse Fischer

Jesse Fischer

Leadership activities: River View Community Park Board, Village Council in Warsaw, Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce, School Buildings Steering Committee for River View Local Schools

Why is there a lack of young people involved in the community?

Young people that desire to be involved in our community are more likely to do so when they have a secure job. If Coshocton County has a lack of jobs available, local young people will be forced to move to areas. Recent closures of major employers in Coshocton County (such as General Electric, Pretty Products, WestRock) have left a definite void for high school and college graduates looking for local employment, and thus their subsequent involvement in the Coshocton County community.

Why is it important that Coshocton have engaged, young leaders?

There always needs to be a “next generation” of leaders. As the local manufacturing base dwindles, the need becomes even greater. Instead of having individuals that might spend 30 years or more serving on various local boards or in civic groups, people now may have to travel for employment, leaving less time for community service. Many of our “young leaders” of the past aren’t young anymore, and, when they retire, are not being easily replaced by younger, more energetic volunteers.

What’s the number one thing you hope to accomplish and what will it take to get there?

I want to leave Warsaw, and Coshocton County, a better place than when I started to contribute. If I can help be a reason why someone decides to stay here after getting their education, or decides to move here for a better job, than I will feel like it was worth the investment.

Jason Given

Leadership activities: Coshocton County Prosecuting Attorney, Coshocton County Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, Coshocton Rotary Club, Kids America Inc. and Coshocton Behavioral Health Choices

Why is there a lack of young people involved in the community?

I believe there are more young people involved in our community than most people believe, which is encouraging. That being said we can always have greater participation. One of the ways you do that is by having the preceding generation introduce young folks to community service. When I returned to Coshocton County to practice law in 2001, I was very fortunate to have people introduce me to the wonderful charities and service organizations that exist here. Coshocton has a rich foundation of charitable organizations that do an immense amount of good for the county.

Why is it important that Coshocton have engaged, young leaders?

The survival of our community at this moment and time absolutely depends on the cultivation of our young leaders. Coshocton County is a wonderful place and it is going through an evolution that many similarly situated communities are experiencing. Coshocton County has to be able to pivot in new directions that will diversify our economic drivers. This means we need an influx of citizens in their 20s and 30s into our community with the vision to help Coshocton County execute that pivot and find that economic diversity. Young leaders are going to help take this community into the renaissance that I know is coming. When you look at Coshocton in the past you see that it was driven by young entrepreneurs that brought their fresh ideas here and thrived. There are some here now, but we need more.

What’s the number one thing you hope to accomplish and what will it take to get there?

The one thing I hope to be a small part of is the evolution of Coshocton County. We have to evolve and change with the times. We have to find new and cutting edge areas of business, agriculture and tourism to bring to Coshocton County, while keeping a firm grip on the successful businesses, farms and tourist attractions that are here now. We have to take advantage of the options that technology provides. That is the ability to connect to anyone or anything from anywhere in the world and then we need to determine what opportunities that presents here locally.

Five to Thrive

This package is a part of our yearlong look into the five most pressing issues for Coshocton County. It details the problems our area's lack of connectivity creates and what local leaders are trying to do to address it.

Other installments in this series are:

Closing the skills gap (from March).

Creating a drug-free workplace (from May).

Technology and Connecting Coshocton (from June).

Develop the next generation of leaders.

Planning for Coshocton 2050.

Find all of our content for this series at CoshoctonTribune.com/future.