Highland County Chamber hosts inaugural STEEL Conference

The Highland County Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural STEEL Conference was held Tuesday, Oct. 22 at The Patriot Center located on Southern State Community College’s Hillsboro campus. STEEL stands for Strengthening Together Experienced and Emerging Leaders.

Kicking off the event was Paul Worley, Economic Development Director of Adams County. Worley was the master of ceremonies for the evening and led the conference to connect, learn and strengthen together. The event began with a video made by the STEEL Conference Planning Committee on the importance of leadership within Highland County.

During the start of the event, Worley led over 160 participants through icebreaker sessions, which provided attendees with the opportunity to engage with fellow participants which included students, local business owners and business leaders.

Dr. Nicole Roades, President of Southern State Community College, extended a warm welcome to the guests of The Patriot Center. She expressed her appreciation for hosting the event and her commitment to encouraging the leaders of tomorrow.

Renowned performance coach and USA Today-bestselling author Jordan Montgomery delivered the keynote address. Montgomery, trusted by elite business executives, sales teams, professional athletes and entrepreneurs, inspired the audience with his insights on leadership empowerment and growth. He emphasized, "When the leader gets better, everyone gets better,” aligning with the conference's objective to enhance leadership in Highland County, thereby enriching the community as a whole.

At the conclusion of Montgomery’s keynote address he answered various questions among the crowd about his leadership path in a Q&A session, giving a direct wave of inspiration to our community leaders. 

Following these on-stage events, Montgomery also autographed his recent book titled: “The Art of Encouragement.” True Life Chiropractic sponsored books for the first 35 registered attendees.

The Highland County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Highland District Hospital for sponsoring The Highland County Panel Discussion. Tim Parry, CEO of Highland District Hospital, was invited to give a few remarks on the steps that Highland District Hospital has been taking to grow and evolve leadership within Highland County.

The panel discussion featured experienced and emerging leaders from Highland County, who shared their journeys, triumphs and challenges along the way. Those leaders included: Panel Moderator Karie Emery, Bright Local Schools Work Based Learning Coordinator; Experienced Leader Matt Burns, Hillsboro Baptist Church Pastor; Experienced Leader Quincey Gray, Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Superintendent; Emerging Leader Nathan Shafer, Shafer Heating & Cooling Owner; and Emerging Leader Dr. Austin Trueblood, True Life Chiropractic Owner.

Level I Sponsors of the event included: All Axxiss; Bear Mechanical; Highland District Hospital; Huhtamaki Inc; Lewis Financial Group; Merchants National Bank; RoofX; Seal-Tite LLC; Shafer Heating & Cooling; Southern Hills Community Bank; Southern State Community College; and Wilkin Heating & Air Conditioning Co., Inc.

Level II Sponsors of the event included: Adena Greenfield Medical Center; Edward Jones; Elite Roofing; Fifth Third Bank; First State Bank; Gibbs Insurance Associates; Great Oaks Institute of Technology & Career Development; Greenfield Research Inc.; Hamilton Insurance Agency; NCB; Paramount Commercial Roofing Systems, LLC; Peoples Bank; Petland Hillsboro; SOCS Fiber; South Central Power Co; Southern Ohio RetroFoam, LLC; The Guest House Spa; and Thompson Funeral Service, Inc.

Level III Sponsors of the event included: Atomic Credit Union; Dr. Lesia Langston-McKenna; ERA Real Solutions Realty; Greenfield Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation; HealthSource of Ohio; Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.; Highland Health Providers; Hillsboro Ohio Pickleball Association, Inc.; Innergex Renewables Development USA LLC; Jerry Haag Motors, Inc; Phenomenal Business Coaching; Rick's Hometown TV & Appliance Center; Scotty's 22-Brew; Seal-Tite LLC; Shipphaus.com; Stevens Do It Best Hardware; TechneTitle Agency Inc.; TechSolve; The Barn at Hidden Ridge; The Lake View Loft Event Venue; The Laurels of Hillsboro; Union Stock Yards; Visitors Bureau of Highland County; and Wilmington Savings Bank.
 
The Highland County Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership-driven organization that represents the business community of Highland County. The many plans and programs the Chamber offers its investors, combined with county workforce development initiatives and local, state and federal legislative/advocacy efforts, position the Chamber of Commerce as a lead organization in Highland County. Learn more at www.thehighlandchamber.com.

 
Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.