Germantown's Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) took a moment out of their Monday meeting to shine the spotlight on a group of city employees who have just upped their game. The city is celebrating the 25 individuals who've completed the Fall 2025 Leaders of Excellence and Ambassador Development (LEAD) program, a cross-departmental initiative designed to instill greater leadership qualities and teamwork across city governance.
These graduates hail from an array of city departments, with names familiar to those they serve -- from fire stations to parks, and finance to fleet management. This program, as reported by the City of Germantown's official website, aims to create meaningful connections across these diverse departments, encouraging employees to build relationships and understand roles beyond their daily tasks. The Board President, Jennifer Jenkins, underscored this, noting that "The LEAD program creates meaningful opportunities for connection across departments, allowing participants to build relationships beyond their usual roles, and this group truly rose to that challenge."
Among the graduates is Brad Villane, a digital journalist who found a new appreciation for the municipality's myriad functions through his participation in LEAD. "The program really opened my eyes to the breadth of what the City does," Villane told the City of Germantown. "I realized that we are so blessed by the incredible people who make the City run. They are skilled, committed and excited about their jobs."
This leadership initiative has been a staple for the city, evidencing Germantown's commitment to fostering stronger leaders within their current ranks. The hope is that these graduates return to their departments not just enriched with new skills, but also bearing a broader understanding and a heightened focus on community service. It's this dedication to internal growth that keeps Germantown’s gears smoothly turning, ensuring engagement not just within city departments, but also within the community they tirelessly serve.
