Discover Ocala – Episode 25 | Leadership Ocala Metro

This episode of Discover Ocala welcomes Interim CEO and Chief eXperience Officer Tamara Fleishhacker of the Ocala CEP to talk about Leadership Ocala Metro, or “LOM”, an immersive, practicum-based nine-month program for adults and youths. Valerie herself is an alumni of LOM (Class 17), as is Tamara (Class 23).

“We’re on Class 39 now!” Tamara says, pausing to take that in. “It’s pretty incredible.” 

The core idea of LOM is to put its students right in the thick of real, practical places and situations that give them strategies and tools to work out solutions, and connect them to their communities in a tangible, personal way.  Understanding the fundamental infrastructures, day-to-day details and challenges, and knowing how they function are key elements to finding practical, actionable improvements in the future. 

“For us it’s really about taking people who are on a professional track and getting them into some development for leadership and understanding their community better,” she explains. “Ultimately what we’re trying to do is develop the next generation of leaders – get them immersed into the community, how the structure works, how governmentally it works, what the industries are.”

Participants in the program meet monthly from August to May for all-day sessions that include a wide variety of study and practical work, including team-building, leadership development, community events and community service. “Fire Day”, for example, is a particular unit that both Valerie and Tamara have vivid memories of and consider valuable experience.  Students gear up and participate in actual firefighter drills, and find out pretty quickly that it isn’t a walk in the park.

“There’s nothing like that hands-on experience,” Tamara says, remembering the literal weight of the heavy gear and musing that real firefighters have to haul it into burning, smoking buildings almost every day. “It’s incredible what they do, and it makes you more grateful for them.”

LOM also offers a youth program designed and created especially for high school juniors, with the goal of helping those students get to know the most they can about where they live and encourage them to contribute and invest in their local areas as they develop their careers.

While the adult program requires CEP membership, some scholarships are available for non-profits and other applicants for the $1400 course fee.  Both programs – adult and youth – begin recruitment each Spring, with the adult group limited to about 35 members each year.

The program fee covers all meals and transportation, as well as for the annual Alumni Dinner that everyone looks forward to each year, where past and present students have a chance to meet and talk. Many of the groups who have gone through the program stay in touch with each other long after they’ve finished, and have mentored new members.

“They stay in touch and network with each other, and that’s important,” Tamara says. “It’s important to celebrate the legacy this has.”

If you would like to learn more about or participate in Leadership Ocala Metro, visit www.ocalacep/com/program/leadershipopportunities for details or to fill out an application.