BOLD Trains Biz Leaders
May 31, 2018
By NOLAN STOUT
Daily News-Record 5/24/18
HARRISONBURG — It might seem like the television news and poultry business would have little in common, but Alan Shelton disagrees.
Shelton, Cargill Inc.’s senior food scientist, said his business has a big commonality with that of his mentee, Jay Webb, news director for WHSV-TV3.
“Even though our products are so vastly different ... the problems are the same,” said Shelton, a
39-year Cargill employee. “People are people. And we found that the type of issues I’ve had in the past are the type he’s had.”
Webb was one of six people to graduate from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce’s BOLD program on Tuesday.
The program, which stands for Building Optimal Leaders by Design, pairs up-and-coming professionals with business leaders who are typically near the end of their career.
The program was established through the Community Leadership Development aspect of the chamber-led initiative Vision 2020 plan. About 25 people have graduated from the program since 2012, according to chamber President Frank Tamberrino.
“We thought, ‘Let’s find people that we really can identify as future leaders of this community,”
he said. “Let’s pair them with somebody who’s able to say ‘been there, done that.’” The program is based off “how it used to be,” Tamberrino said, when executives would “impart wisdom” on rising stars who would one day take over their position. That model has slowly faded as many businesses are part of larger corporations, Tamberrino said.
“As I get older, as I kind of fade off into retirement, the gift I can give is the gift of experience,” Shelton said, “and having experienced so many things myself that I can share with other people.”
The two-year program, which costs $449, allows mentors and mentees to meet at least once a quarter for programs, projects and one-on-one sessions. Most participants also meet for conversations over lunch or coffee.“I can’t think of one of those lunches where I didn’t leave with a lot to think about,” said Jeremy Hartman, WHSV’s director of sales, who also graduated from the program on Tuesday.
Hartman’s mentor, Tom Mendez, vice president of BB& T Insurance Services in Harrisonburg, said he’s been able to pass on several lessons.
“The last two years of my career have been the best two years of my career,” he said. “And I think a lot of that is reflecting on those conversations.”
For Quinton Callahan, an attorney with Clark & Bradshaw, working with someone from a different industry provided an enlightening experience. His mentor, Gary Calleo, is a former plant manager for RR Donnelley and oversaw more than 1,200 employees.
Callahan, on the other hand, has two employees report to him. “There was a great value to having a mentor from a different industry and a different scale of operation,” Callahan said. “It was interesting talking to him about managing people and getting his input on things and how he was doing it.”Tamberrino said the program allows rising business leaders to realize their potential.
“Everybody, even those you see as the most successful person you know, has been through some challenges. Here’s how they got through them,” he said. “That’s really what defines a real leader versus someone that’s just aspiring to be a leader.”
Jay Webb (right), news director for WHSV-TV3, and his mentor, Alan Shelton, a food scientist for Cargill Inc., speak during the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce’s recognition ceremony for its BOLD program in Harrisonburg on Tuesday.
Daily News-Record 5/24/18
HARRISONBURG — It might seem like the television news and poultry business would have little in common, but Alan Shelton disagrees.
Shelton, Cargill Inc.’s senior food scientist, said his business has a big commonality with that of his mentee, Jay Webb, news director for WHSV-TV3.
“Even though our products are so vastly different ... the problems are the same,” said Shelton, a
39-year Cargill employee. “People are people. And we found that the type of issues I’ve had in the past are the type he’s had.”
Webb was one of six people to graduate from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce’s BOLD program on Tuesday.
The program, which stands for Building Optimal Leaders by Design, pairs up-and-coming professionals with business leaders who are typically near the end of their career.
The program was established through the Community Leadership Development aspect of the chamber-led initiative Vision 2020 plan. About 25 people have graduated from the program since 2012, according to chamber President Frank Tamberrino.
“We thought, ‘Let’s find people that we really can identify as future leaders of this community,”
he said. “Let’s pair them with somebody who’s able to say ‘been there, done that.’” The program is based off “how it used to be,” Tamberrino said, when executives would “impart wisdom” on rising stars who would one day take over their position. That model has slowly faded as many businesses are part of larger corporations, Tamberrino said.
“As I get older, as I kind of fade off into retirement, the gift I can give is the gift of experience,” Shelton said, “and having experienced so many things myself that I can share with other people.”
The two-year program, which costs $449, allows mentors and mentees to meet at least once a quarter for programs, projects and one-on-one sessions. Most participants also meet for conversations over lunch or coffee.“I can’t think of one of those lunches where I didn’t leave with a lot to think about,” said Jeremy Hartman, WHSV’s director of sales, who also graduated from the program on Tuesday.
Hartman’s mentor, Tom Mendez, vice president of BB& T Insurance Services in Harrisonburg, said he’s been able to pass on several lessons.
“The last two years of my career have been the best two years of my career,” he said. “And I think a lot of that is reflecting on those conversations.”
For Quinton Callahan, an attorney with Clark & Bradshaw, working with someone from a different industry provided an enlightening experience. His mentor, Gary Calleo, is a former plant manager for RR Donnelley and oversaw more than 1,200 employees.
Callahan, on the other hand, has two employees report to him. “There was a great value to having a mentor from a different industry and a different scale of operation,” Callahan said. “It was interesting talking to him about managing people and getting his input on things and how he was doing it.”Tamberrino said the program allows rising business leaders to realize their potential.
“Everybody, even those you see as the most successful person you know, has been through some challenges. Here’s how they got through them,” he said. “That’s really what defines a real leader versus someone that’s just aspiring to be a leader.”
Jay Webb (right), news director for WHSV-TV3, and his mentor, Alan Shelton, a food scientist for Cargill Inc., speak during the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce’s recognition ceremony for its BOLD program in Harrisonburg on Tuesday.
