Mike Shaffer, left, and classmates get a close look at local produce during Ag Day.

Senior technology management and human resources management major Mike Shaffer is not only the first currently enrolled full-time UF student to be accepted into Hancock Leadership (HL), but he also is the first representative of Generation Y to participate in the nine-month seminar program, founded in 1986, designed to foster and promote volunteer leadership resources within the Findlay community. HL is a program of Greater Findlay Inc.

Doug Peters, CEO of Greater Findlay Inc., and Tony Iriti, immediate past mayor of the city of Findlay, last year suggested to S. Chris Ward, Ed.D., assistant professor in the College of Business, that a UF student apply to be part of the HL class. Both leaders cited the need for Findlay to retain its young professionals and find ways to engage them within the community.

When Ward approached Shaffer with the idea last spring, he embraced the opportunity. He contacted Linda DeArment, director of HL at the time, and completed the application process. Shaffer now works with Julie Brown, interim HL director.

“Mike’s perspective as a University student will be particularly important in the planning for future Hancock Leadership classes. Until this point, the class has been structured to serve Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers,” said Brown. “HL will continue to evolve to meet the needs of Generation Y and provide meaningful opportunities for our next generation to develop into vibrant community leaders. Mike’s feedback will be used to keep the program fresh and exciting for future classes.”

The HL class of 2008 first met for a half-day team-building retreat in September. The group gathered at Camp Glen to learn more about one another and break down barriers that exist when meeting new people. Each class member created a poster about himself or herself and also worked together to complete several team challenges. Through the group activities, “we learned to adapt and work together to accomplish our goals,” said Shaffer.

Since the retreat, the class meets once a month for a systematic orientation to the community, as well as learning experiences to develop leadership skills. Meetings have included field trips to the water and sewage treatment plants, The Cube (which served as a shelter during the flood in August), the city landfill, area farms and other locations in Hancock County to learn about the many ways in which the organizations work together to keep the community running smoothly.

Each year, the HL experience culminates with a class legacy project that benefits the community and allows class members to exercise leadership within the community. According to Shaffer, the group has done a lot of brainstorming and has a lot of ideas but has not yet made a final decision on the project.

“I really like being able to meet all the different people and interacting with people in the community who consider themselves leaders,” said Shaffer. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the different aspects of how the county and community are affected by the different things we’re going to see – like law and education and business.”

Shaffer, a native of Fostoria, will graduate in December.