Williston Chamber Seeks 2023 Leadership Program Participants

The Williston Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the 27th year of Leadership Williston. According to their website, the leadership program is eight months long, and it is designed to grow leaders with an emphasis on community engagement and professional development.

Leadership Williston focuses on eight components including:

• Orientation, city/county government and economic development
• Oil & gas
• Political Involvement
• Agriculture
• History of Williston
• Media, community involvement/tourism
• Law Enforcement
• Health & Education

2023 promises to be a bit more exciting because the North Dakota state legislature is in session and participants will be heading to Bismarck to watch our senators and representatives in action.

I can not say enough good about this program, and the impressions it leaves on participants. When we get the chance to interview each participant throughout the process, their drive and ambition is almost contagious. A friend of mine lives daily by a simple motto "be the good." This is a great place to learn to actually do the good!

Public artwork throughout the Community - Caitlin Pallai, LW Class of 2017

"I've heard it said that Williston lacks an arts scene and is a nasty city. While I have no control over the amount of dust in the city, I can do something to dispel the myth that Williston isn't or can't be an artistically supportive community, Pallai said. From 1st Street West down to 18th Street West, traffic light control boxes have been transformed from plain silver into pieces of beauty thanks to contributions from neighborhood artists of all ages.

Cleaning military headstones at Riverview Cemetery - Brandon Devlo, LW Class of 2022

For Brandon Delvo, serving in the military is more than simply a record of dates, names, and locations; it's a commitment to making sure that our veterans receive the respect they merit. According to Delvo, "each veteran's gravestone is a memorial to not only their lives but also to the conflicts and wars they served in during their time of service." Twelve veterans of the Spanish American War and the Civil War will have their gravestones cleaned. The headstone is wetted down, then treated with D2 solution, which prevents bacterial growth, scrubbed with a soft bristle brush, and then washed with water to complete the preservation process. Up until September, more dates must be set in order to proceed with the project.

"Let's All Go to The Lobby" Mural in Downtown Williston - Devyn Cox, LW Class of 2022

We talked with Devyn at her project, and she had this to say. "For my project, I specifically had an idea of wanting it to be downtown because of how much I think it's a real defining character; it's the heart of the community," said Cox. As a resident of the downtown area, Cox was inspired further to enhance the quality of life there for residents and visitors alike. "I've always been a lover of murals, visual art, and I felt there was a need in our downtown.  So, I really wanted to do something big that everybody could see either by driving or walking just to benefit their quality of life."

If you want to ba a part of this amazing class, you have to get your application submitted by January 13, 2023. Click here for more information.