Courtesy of Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce
By Rod Bacon
In order for a community to thrive and reach its fullest potential it must develop the strengths and talents of its most important resource–its people.
In 1985, Linda Toohey, then executive vice president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, lead an ad hoc group of community leaders with the goal of engaging area business people in volunteer activities that would benefit both themselves and the region. Toohey retired in June 2012 and Program Director Kathleen Fyfe led the initiative until 2023.
“Linda’s vision was to develop a program to foster future volunteer leadership throughout Saratoga County,” said Greg Dixon, chief strategy officer, who currently administers it
Those interested in the program must submit a detailed application that is reviewed by the 13-member advisory board. This is followed by an in-person interview with Dixon and up to two advisory board members to determine the level of commitment of the applicants. Up to 24 members of the business community are selected for each class. The application process for the class of 2026 must be completed by May 30. It will open on April 1, 2026 for those interested in joining the next class.
Participants must make a significant commitment of time and energy to the program. Attendance at the two-day opening retreat, scheduled for September 21-22 at a Saratoga County venue, is mandatory, as is the closing reflection on April 29, 2026. Class members must attend at least 80 percent of the 13 half-day sessions as well as participate in the group project.
Topics presented during the sessions include issues facing human services organizations, effective board governance, empowered leadership, ethical dilemmas, educational leadership, fund-raising and philanthropy, economic development and quality of life, financial oversight and overhead, government, strategic planning, communications, and technology.
Presenters and panelists from the community include government officials, board of education members, school superintendents, business executives, and non-profit board members and executive staff.
Some of the non-profit organizations that have been helped by past classes are Lifeworks Community Action, Our Lodge Foundation, Saratoga Pride, Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar, The Academy for Lifelong Leaning, Captain Human Services, Friends of Saratoga Spring Public Library, Wellspring, and Habitat for Humanity, among others.
Projects chosen by the class of 2025 will benefit the Wilton Fire District, Ballston Area Community Center, American Cancer Society-Capital Region, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm.
Tuition for this year’s class is $2,750. Merit-based scholarship assistance is available through the Linda G. Toohey Scholarship Program and the Pamela Polacsek Scholarship Program. The chamber’s Veterans Business Council offers need-based financial assistance to veterans or those currently serving in the military.
Another program administered by Dixon is Saratoga Institute of Management, a collaborative initiative with Empire State University. Started in 2019 by Kathleen Fyfe under the leadership of Chamber President Todd Shimkus and the board of directors, it was suspended during Covid and reactivated last year.
“We took what we learned from that experience and relaunched a streamlined program this year with the support of 2024 Board Chairman Chad Kiesow and current Board Chairman Randy Metevier,” Dixon said.
Registration for the spring 2025 session is closed but Dixon envisions the next track will start in early 2026.
He explained that the framework of the program is blend of soft skills, such as coaching and motivating employees, understanding leadership styles, self-exploration of values, communication skills, and technical skills around managing and leading workforce.
“This training is really designed for new-or-soon-to-be managers who may have an expertise in their area of work but have not had formal training in many of these areas… areas that will be critical to their success in a managerial role and the success of their team,” Dixon said.
The cost per employee per track is $945 for chamber members and $1,445 for non-members. Financial support comes from the original funding provided by the Saratoga County Capital Resources Corporation and the Saratoga County Foundation.
For further information about these programs go to saratoga.org, click on About, and then on the program with which you are interested.