Forty years ago, Leadership Rapid City (LRC) began bringing people together with the notion they could make a difference in the community, that leadership wasn't just a thing you waited for in Pierre or Washington, that it was right here in The Black Hills.

 

In that time, LRC has graduated more than 1,000. The program helped launch initiatives like Summer Nights, Day of Excellence, and the Festival of Lights Parade. It's also given future and current leaders a better understanding of the area and helped network the Black Hills far and wide.

 

This year, as COVID-19 began to affect us all, we knew the prospect of social distancing and the core function of leadership development were going to continue to be at odds. We also knew the deadline for the Class of 2020 was coming at the end of June.

 

In this spirit, we've decided it's best to pause and not offer a class this fall. We didn't come to this decision lightly, but knew it was the best thing, for one main reason: we want to keep people safe and healthy. According to the CDC, even with 6 feet of distancing and masks, medium-sized in-person gatherings put attendees in a higher risk category. While plenty of services and events have been able to go digital, we believe it would be a disservice to participants to not allow them the opportunity meet and learn in person. At its core, leadership is about networking. And that's hard to do through a mask or at a distance of across-the-room.

 

While we are disappointed by this setback, we are also excited for the opportunity to bring this program back and stronger than ever. If you are an LRC alum or a business that has sent leaders through the program, keep an eye on your inbox. We will be sending a survey to learn more about your experience and get your ideas on how we can improve the program for future leaders.

 

If you or someone you know wants to be first to learn of the new development or when Leadership Rapid City opens up its application window again, click here to be notified.

 

Our mission is to elevate the region for all. Developing leaders is at the very foundation of the work we do. Thank you for working with us as we face these challenges and lead the change, together.