Voice of Business by the Hancock Chamber of Commerce
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Voice of Business by the Hancock Chamber of Commerce
Leadership Hancock County Testimonials
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For nearly 30 years, Leadership Hancock County has been shaping the leaders who shape our community. Presented by the Hancock Chamber, the program equips participants with the knowledge, connections and leadership skills needed to make a lasting impact. Since 1996, more than 500 graduates have gone on to lead businesses, organizations and initiatives throughout Hancock County.
The graduate testimonials in this video offer a firsthand look at the impact Leadership Hancock County has had on its graduates—from expanding professional networks to building confidence and creating lifelong connections. If you're ready to grow as a leader while making a greater impact in Hancock County, Leadership Hancock County is the place to start.
Good evening, everyone. Um, I first would like to thank the steering committee because I'm not sure what I was expecting within Leadership Hancock, but I want all of you to know that it exceeded my expectation, and I applaud you. Um, this has been such an inspiring year for me. Um, my takeaway would be um I think it's important for each one of us to get involved within the community, find an organization, find we're all different pieces of the puzzle, and find your niche, find um where you see yourself best. And I feel like I'm making a commitment to get involved, to stay involved, and the only way Hancock County continues to grow is going to take each of us in this room to move forward, to push forward. And this is my 200th time recording this, and I'm not gonna record anymore. Um, thank you. It's been a great year.
SPEAKER_03Hi, Amber Glass. Uh, I think my biggest takeaway from this program was how little that I truly knew about the place that I call home. Um being born and raised here, I thought I knew everything there was to know as far as the people, the traditions, the cultures, um, and the things that makes this place feel like home. Um, but I was blown away by the uh depth of history and innovation that we truly have here in Hancock County. Um I think my biggest takeaway was that we're not just a beautiful coastal community. I mean, we're filled with innovation, we're filled with a strong leadership, industry, um, culture, and so many opportunities that I feel that people may not truly get to experience without an opportunity like this. So I'm grateful for this experience. I feel like it's truly um opened my eyes and made me very appreciative of the people helping move Hancock County forward, um, as well as an appreciation for the place that I call home. So thank you to Hancock County Leadership for allowing me the opportunity to grow as a leader, um, to grow in connections with people that I may not have known before this, and helping me to really grow a deeper appreciation for the town that I get to call home.
SPEAKER_00The biggest takeaway from the leadership class to me was learning about all the services, resources, and opportunities that are available throughout the county and to learn about all the people, businesses, and organizations that are working every day to improve our community.
SPEAKER_12My biggest takeaway from Leadership 2026 are going to be the relationships and bonds that I formed with my classmates. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to take this class, and I love all of you guys.
SPEAKER_02My name is Chanel Frickey and I'm the work-based learning coordinator at Hancock County Career Technical Center. My main role is to help students obtain employment, internships, and job shadowing opportunities. I applied for this leadership program with one goal in mind: to build stronger community connections that would create more doors of opportunity for my students. What I gained from this experience exceeded every expectation. Although I lived in Hancock County my entire life, I discovered incredible businesses, organizations, and resources that I never knew existed. Even more valuable were the relationships I built with inspiring individuals both inside and outside of this class, many of whom I've already begun partnering with to better serve my students. This experience reminded me that it truly takes a village to help our young people succeed. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is how fortunate I am to live in Hancock County. No matter our differences in opinions and backgrounds, I've noticed that most people in our community are always coming together to help each other. It has been an honor to stand along such amazing colleagues and to be led by such great leaders. This program has not only been educational and impactful, but genuinely inspiring. And I'm excited to continue using these connections to make a lasting difference for my students in the community. Thank you for this opportunity. It has been an honor.
SPEAKER_04Hancock County Leadership, it was more than a program. It was an opportunity to understand the heartbeat of our community. It brought together people with different background industries and perspectives to build lasting relationships, and I was able to discover the resources and organizations that make Hancock County thrive. And learned how we can work together to shape its future. This program was valuable because you're not just attending sessions, you're building a network of leaders, friends, and community partners that can impact both your personal and professional life for years to come. I gained a deeper appreciation for the challenges and opportunities within our county, and I want to be a part of the solution. For me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience because it changed the way I see my community and the role I have to play in it.
SPEAKER_07Hey y'all, I think my greatest takeaway from the class is just the overall experience. I have met so many wonderful people and had so many different opportunities that I wouldn't have had without this class. It has opened my eyes and made me have a greater appreciation for the county that I've grown up in and didn't know half of the things about. And it's encouraged me to take my kids out and about and get more involved in the community. So I just want to thank everybody that has had a hand in it and has taken the time to do our classes. I appreciate everything and I'll always cherish my leadership memories. Thanks, y'all.
SPEAKER_09My biggest takeaway from the leadership class is my empowerment to speak up. The leadership class has helped me build confidence in myself, confidence in my voice, and I understand now that my ideas can make a huge impact in the community.
SPEAKER_11Take five. Hancock County Leadership Class of 2026 has been nothing short of amazing. My classmates and I have been able to accomplish things never accomplished before. I am grateful for the connections with my amazing classmates as well. Each month, the chamber brought us bigger and better sessions than the month before. Every time it just got better and better. We learned so much about our county that now I'm grateful to be able to bring those resources to not only my clients, but to everyday people in our community. So thank you, Hancock Chamber, and thanks for the food. The food was great too.
SPEAKER_10Hi, everyone. My favorite thing about leadership was being able to meet new people in the class and make connections. And I'm very excited about telling other people my age about joining the class, where they can learn everything about Hancock County as well. Growing up in Hancock County, I never realized all the things that were offered. And so it's been a great experience learning everything about what a great county would come from, and I'm excited to share that with everybody else.
SPEAKER_13Hi there. I'm Nancy Moynen. I came into leadership with years of business and community experience. Now I sit on the Bay St. Louis City Council. So naturally I thought I had a pretty good understanding of how things worked. But after joining the 2025 leadership class, I found myself somewhere in Alabama with 30 people I did not know and trusting a handful of them to position me in a prostrate coffin pose and pass me through a two by two opening to another group waiting to receive me. Every one of us did this in varying degrees, to cheers of, you're doing great. Hold the pose. Yeah, yay, it looks like she's gonna fit. And that, my friends, started a very special camaraderie that has only grown over the past eight months. And in these eight months, we scoured Hancock County. We stood 18 stories in the air on the edge of a rocket engine testing platform. We went to court, we went to jail, we touched the arts, we went to school, and all along we were schooled on the importance of meeting the needs of our community with exceptionalism. I loved every minute. If you care about this community and want to serve it well, I strongly encourage you to be a part of Hancock County leadership.
SPEAKER_08My name is Angela Reven, and I first want to thank Coast Electric and Coast Connect for sponsoring me to be a part of this amazing program into Hancock County Chamber of Commerce for providing us so much knowledge about Hancock County. My positive takeaway is recognizing the challenges people face and taking the opportunities as a leader to better help people in this community.
SPEAKER_06This is Sandy Walsh, and this past year I was able to participate in the Hancock County Leadership Class. And my biggest takeaway from being in this class is it doesn't matter if you have lived here in Hancock County all your life or just recently moved here. There is so many resources available, and if I had not taken this class, I would have not been able to know about these resources. So as a realtor in the area, when people are moving into this area, I will be able to get these resources out to buyers and just anyone in particular. Thank you once again for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Hancock County Leadership class.
SPEAKER_01Leadership Hancock County was awesome. I got to meet some great people, see Hancock County in a unique way, and even talk with leaders in our community. I grew up in Hancock County, and so I thought I knew a lot about it, but because of this program, I truly got to see a lot more and understand that there's many more opportunities than I originally expected or thought of. It was awesome getting to see all of the growth firsthand and see how much people are putting back into this place and make it better every day. I would recommend Hancock County leadership to anybody that has the opportunity to do it. You'll truly learn so much about this place and makes you excited to live here.