A class that helps develop leaders from across Chilton County will start again this fall.

Chilton Leadership is held every other year in even-numbered years. The program started in 1998 and is sponsored by the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Center.

“(I think Chilton Leadership) is for people who are interested in their community and progressing and moving forward,” said Mike Robertson, Chamber executive director. “It would be for anyone who might be interested in stepping up to the ‘next level’ of leadership.”

Gay West, Extension Center coordinator, has been involved with every Leadership class since the program’s inception.

“(Chilton Leadership is for) anybody who wants to learn more about the county and about opportunities to serve in the county,” West said.

Members of the class spend one day a month from September through May learning about different aspects of the county. Some topics include history, economic development, education, public safety, government and health/human services.

Both Robertson and West said class members learn things about the county that they didn’t previously know.

“People say, ‘I didn’t know about this’ or ‘I wasn’t aware this was going on in Chilton County,’” Robertson said. “They learn a lot. They get to meet a lot of people.”

Each class also completes a community service project. The last class produced a tourism brochure highlighting different attractions in the county. Other classes have done renovations at Higgins Ferry Parks’ pavilion, landscaping around the courthouse and work at the YMCA soccer field.

Chilton Leadership is open to anyone who lives in or works in Chilton County and is over the age of 18.

A selection committee selects class members from all applications received. Each class is generally limited to 15-18 members.

The program has a $275 registration/tuition fee that must be received by Aug. 15. Participants must also agree to attend the orientation Tuesday, Sept. 11 and the other eight sessions, barring emergencies. The class will meet on the second Tuesday of the month, excluding December.

Applications are available at the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, contact Robertson at 755-2400 or West at 280-6268.