Leadership York

Behind the Scenes at The Pretzel Company! ?? Our Leadership Training Program had an amazing time touring The Pretzel Company, formerly known as York City Pretzel Company! Founded in December 2014, this beloved local business started as a 1,200-square-foot bakery in downtown York and has since grown into an 8,000-square-foot manufacturing facility—a true testament to their success! ?? This past December, they celebrated 10 years of delivering freshly baked pretzels to the York community and beyond. A fun fact: Founder Philip Given has taken The Pretzel Company to new heights, showcasing their delicious creations on QVC each month! Their lineup includes hand-twisted soft-baked pretzels, pretzel nuggets, monster-size soft pretzels, and pretzel braids with dips—all of which are irresistible! ?? While we can’t reveal their secret ingredients, we’re incredibly grateful to Philip and his team for an unforgettable experience. Not only did we tour their facility, but we also got a hands-on pretzel-making lesson AND left with take-home boxes filled with fresh pretzels, salt, and dips! ?? Thank you for this deliciously fun experience!

??? Our latest Leadership for Diverse Schools session challenged educators to deepen their understanding of faith and bias in the classroom. Participants continued to explore their own biases, recognized how faith shapes their environments, and identified various beliefs, observations, and traditions. They also examined the prejudices and stereotypes that impact different religions. A highlight of the session was an insightful panel discussion featuring speakers from a variety of religious backgrounds, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, PA Nonbelievers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Judaism. These conversations are crucial in fostering respectful and informed learning spaces! ??

Our NLA class had an enriching third session at the YMCA of the Roses - York County, diving into the roles and responsibilities of the board and board chair, as well as strategies for building a strong working partnership between the two! ?? A huge thank you to Larry Richardson, President & CEO of YMCA of the Roses, for leading an insightful discussion on relationship building. With over 30 years of leadership and national training experience in YMCA governance, we were incredibly fortunate to learn directly from an expert! ?? We also extend our gratitude to the White Rose Leadership Institute for their valued partnership in this year's Nonprofit Leadership Academy!

For Session 2, our Executive Connections class met at York County History Center to connect with the history of York County and its leaders. We kicked off with a fun "What's What and Who's Who in York County" quiz (our participants did surprisingly well! ??), followed by a panel discussion with community leaders: ??? Edquina Washington, City of York Council President & Chief Impact Office at the YWCA York ? Eric Menzer, President of York Revolution ??? Anthony Moore, COO, Four Squares York ?? Emceed by Aaron Anderson, CEO & Head of School at Logos Academy The panel shared insights on the culture of leadership in our community and how participants can enhance their own leadership locally. We ended the evening with a personal tour of the center by Joan Mummert, President & CEO of the York County History Center, exploring the amazing history right in our own backyard that shaped who we are today. Special thanks to our session sponsor, Stock and Leader, and Ron Hershner, Partner, for your support and commitment to the community!

Earlier this month, our Future Leaders of York students had an incredible opportunity to connect with local business leaders across a variety of industries—construction, nursing, special education, physical therapy, orthopedic surgery, and more! ?????? Each year, our amazing FLY coordinator, Kathy, organizes this impactful networking event, giving students a firsthand look at potential career paths. They gain insight into the steps they can take before diving into a profession, hear about career shifts, and learn what professionals love most about their jobs ?? This experience is always eye-opening for our Future Leaders, and we’re so grateful to the volunteers who generously give their time to inspire the next generation. Thank you for making a difference! ??

Last week, our Leadership York team had the honor of celebrating Doceo’s 20th Anniversary at The Pullo Center! Congratulations to John Lewis and the entire Doceo team on two incredible decades of outstanding service, customer commitment, and community impact?? We’re beyond grateful for your support of Leadership York and for the dedication you show to the communities you serve. Here’s to 20 amazing years—and many more to come!

Session 10 is in the books—only four more to go! ?? Last week, our LTP class explored the world of aging, learning how we can apply age equity where we live, work, and play while discovering ways to support older adults in our community. A huge THANK YOU to our amazing host, Windy Hill on the Campus - Senior Center, a free drop-in community center for active adults 60+ in Spring Grove, Hanover, and surrounding areas. They offer great programs in health & fitness, lifelong learning, nutrition, and socialization! ?????♂? Special shoutout to our session sponsor, York County Community Foundation's Embracing Aging Program, and Cathy Bollinger, Executive Director of Embracing Aging & TroveStreet, for an insightful presentation on age equity! We also had the pleasure of hearing from Jenna Lawrence, Executive Director at Windy Hill, who challenged misconceptions about retirement and senior centers. Plus, we toured the facility, learned about upcoming initiatives, and had an inspiring discussion on their programs and future plans! ? Aging is truly a privilege—what a beautiful reminder!

One More Session to Go! ?? It’s hard to believe our 2025 All on Board series is almost complete! This past session was packed with valuable insights on leading effective meetings, structuring agendas, taking meaningful minutes, and mastering parliamentary procedure (aka Robert’s Rules of Order —have you heard of it? ??). Are you on a board? Do you run meetings for a nonprofit or serve on one? If you want to level up your board leadership skills—from running productive meetings to engaging members and making the most of every discussion—then our next All on Board series is for you! ?? Stay tuned for details and get ready to take your board service to the next level! Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to Doceo, our Presenting Sponsor of the All on Board series, for their generous support and commitment to board development!

Behind the Scenes at the Appell Center! ??? Our 2025 LTP class had an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center), thanks to Todd Fogdall, President & CEO! We explored the rich history of the venue dating back to 1906, discovered fascinating architectural transformations over the years, heard stories about potential resident ghosts ??, and learned about the legendary performers who have graced the stage! Did you know? The Appell Center is home to the York Symphony Orchestra, Greater York Dance, and even hosts the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant! ?????? Check out their upcoming events and experience the magic for yourself—visit their website and mark your calendars! ??

Last week, our NLA class had the pleasure of hearing from Samm Smeltzer, Founder of the HRart Center. ? For the past decade, Samm has been passionately pursuing the missing elements of employee engagement within organizations—a journey that led her to studying Spirituality and Eastern Medicine. She is now a certified Medical Qigong Therapist. ?? Thank you, Samm, for your inspiring session! We explored how we become out of balance, the struggles we face when that happens—both personally and professionally—and best practices for restoring balance in our lives. Samm facilitated two engaging activities: an individual energy mapping exercise and an introduction to the Five Element Theory (to learn more, you'll have to sign up for NLA 2026! ??). A special thank you to Byrnes Health Education Center for hosting our group and to Samm for helping us better understand how to sustain our energy, enhance our well-being, and bring balance back into our lives! ?? A final thank you to White Rose Leadership Institute for their valued partnership in this program.