Beachwood Football Players To Attend Leadership Academy

From Beachwood Chamber: This summer, Beachwood High School football players are going to take a deeper look at their leadership skills, thanks to Keller Williams Greater Cleveland: The Amanda Pohlman Team. For the fourth year in a row, Effective Leadership Academy (ELA), a Warrensville Heights-based non-profit organization, is partnering with the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce to offer a unique leadership and soft skill training experience for the community’s high school students – the 2018 Beachwood Chamber Leadership Academy (BCLA). This week-long leadership program, scheduled for July 23-27, will be run similarly to ELA’s successful Chamber Leadership Academy programs in the Warrensville tri-city area and Lorain County.

Each day, based on a specific industry theme, students will explore leadership in a corporate setting by visiting different businesses and organizations throughout Beachwood. At each location, students will participate in an action-based leadership curriculum to guide them through the essential skills needed to be successful in college and career settings, followed by the opportunity to interact with a panel of key executives and business leaders from the community. Government and community relations, sales, marketing, health, financial wellness, science, technology and entrepreneurship are just a few of the industry themes students will be exposed to during the week.

Flo Brett, ELA Founder and Executive Director, states, “This program allows young people to not only learn valuable self-leadership skills, but also network with corporate professionals as they consider future career options. We are grateful to have Keller Williams Greater Cleveland: The Amanda Pohlman Team invest in our future leaders.”

Beachwood High School Head Football Coach Damion Creel told ELA he has been searching for a program like BCLA for years.

“Becoming the head football coach at Beachwood High School to me is more than just X's and O's. I am responsible for every young man that decides to play football here at Beachwood. With that being said, it is my duty to try to impact my kids on and off the field,” said Creel. “I believe this generation of kids lack leadership and accountable which are important to the overall success of each child. Since my hiring in 2015 I have been searching for a leadership program that I could send my kids to, to help develop those necessary leadership skills to become better overall individuals. This opportunity for my kids is tremendous and we owe it all to Keller Williams Greater Cleveland: The Amanda Pohlman Team.”

Knowing of ELA’s success with leadership and soft skill training programs throughout northeast Ohio, Amanda Pohlman of Keller Williams Greater Cleveland: The Amanda Pohlman Team agreed to be the main sponsor for 2018. The sponsorship will allow nearly 30 of Creel’s football players to participate in the program.

“The Beachwood Chamber Leadership Academy is a great opportunity to impact the Beachwood students and the entire community,” said Amanda Pohlman. “One of my sons went through the program last summer and you can see a significant difference in the way he approaches business professionals and how he handles himself in groups. Effective Leadership Academy is helping the youth of Beachwood excel at communicating and networking. My team is proud to support such an important cause that is shaping the people that will one day be the leaders of our community.”
All of ELA’s Chamber Leadership Academy programs are a direct partnership with the respective community’s Chamber of Commerce. ELA is excited and honored to have the support of the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce for a fourth year.

“The Beachwood Chamber recognizes the importance of training today’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders - leaders that we encourage to stay/return to Beachwood after college to live and work,” said Beachwood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cindy Caldwell. “The Beachwood Chamber Leadership Academy launched in June of 2014 and has seen participants from all over northeast Ohio in the past five years. This program is a collaboration with the Effective Leadership Academy and designed to teach networking skills, team-building, confidence, goal setting, attitude, self-knowledge and self-leadership skills to help young people develop their most valuable asset – themselves. The Beachwood Chamber is very proud to continue this program and very grateful to the Effective Leadership Academy for their work with students.”
Beachwood Councilman Eric Synenberg, TechnologyXperts President Eric Chajmovic, Gathering Place Director Eileen Saffran, Dollar Bank Branch Manager Sandie Monsman, 2Tone Boxing Owner Evan Daiber and Network Fifty Two Founder Maria Jeancola are a few names of speakers already confirmed to be on panels for the program. Locations the students will visit during the week include Beachwood City Hall, OMNOVA Solutions, Cleveland Clinic - Family Health and Surgery Center Beachwood, Banana Republic at Beachwood Place and DDR. Pohlman and Caldwell are scheduled to speak at the 2018 BCLA graduation luncheon to be held on July 27.
Students that participate will also learn about internship and shadowing opportunities from all speakers and locations involved in the program. Combined with ELA’s leadership training and the chance to network with top influencers in the city, the BCLA program will give students the chance to stand out when making college plans and career choices.

Image Via Beachwood Chamber