Leadership Holmes County graduates record-largest class, community interest grows
Leadership Holmes County graduated its biggest class yet at The Keim Company, and registration closed for 54 guests as community interest kept climbing.
The biggest Leadership Holmes County class to date stepped across the finish line at The Keim Company in Charm, giving Holmes County another crop of residents trained to take on roles in local business, civic work and community projects. The June 2 graduation drew enough interest that registration closed for 54 guests, underscoring how the chamber-backed program has grown from a leadership class into a pipeline for county decision-making.
Administered by the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, Leadership Holmes County is described by the chamber as a yearly program that seeks to increase the number of leaders in Holmes County through leadership training and skills development. The chamber says the program is meant to strengthen leadership skills and expand participants’ impact in community life, a goal that has become more visible as the class size has climbed.
This year’s milestone stands out against the program’s earlier classes. In 2018, 22 people graduated. In 2019, the class grew to 25. The program then returned in 2021 after a pandemic-induced hiatus, and the 2024-2025 class included a community service project component, signaling a stronger emphasis on applied local work as the cohort moves through the course.
The record-sized class also comes as the program has new leadership. In January 2025, Shasta Mast became the new director of Leadership Holmes County, succeeding Holley Johnson. Johnson had previously led the chamber program before moving to the Holmes County Education & Community Foundation, marking a transition in stewardship for one of the county’s most visible civic training efforts.
For Holmes County, the significance goes beyond a graduation photo. A larger class means more residents have been exposed to the workings of county institutions, local employers, nonprofit boards and public projects, and the chamber is positioning the program as a way to deepen that pool. The record turnout at The Keim Company suggests that interest in the program is widening at the same time Holmes County is looking for more people prepared to serve, lead and participate in the decisions that shape daily life.
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