From Planning to Impact: Hancock Leadership’s 2026 Community Project

In this episode of Chamber Amplified from the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, Doug Jenkins sits down with Jennie Gilroy from the Hancock Leadership Class of 2026 to talk about this year’s community impact project: building a safer, more usable playground for families in Riverview Terrace.

You’ll hear why the project matters (it’s about more than playground equipment, it’s about safety, connection, and giving kids a healthy place to play), how the team is relocating equipment from the former Lincoln School with support from the city, and what’s happening behind the scenes right now - from planning and approvals to painting, layout, and community input sessions to make sure the final result reflects what the neighborhood actually wants.

Jennie also shares how Hancock Leadership helps new and longtime residents better understand local challenges, build relationships across industries, and learn to work with different personalities and skill sets, all while doing real work that benefits the community.

Want to support the project? You can donate here. The class is fundraising toward a $20,000 goal (including a major $10,000 gift from Flag City Morning Rotary Club). Learn more and donate via the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce website by searching “2026 Hancock Leadership.” 

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Transcript

Welcome Back & Show Setup

Doug Jenkins 0:05

Hello everyone and welcome back to Chamber Amplified from the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. I'm your host, Doug Jenkins. Back to our normal format with a little intro and outro on the podcast. Uh, being snowed in and away from the equipment last week, we just decided to run the interview without that. Worked fine, but also want to have the intro and outro just to highlight a few different things as we go through each podcast week to week. So each week speaking of, we're talking about things that matter the most to local businesses and organizations, whether that's workforce development, leadership development, it could be marketing, events, just the everyday realities of running something that serves our community. I'm joined by Jenny Gilroy from the Hancock Leadership Class of 2026 to talk about this year's class project. What they're working on is creating a playground in the Riverview Terrace neighborhood and how they're going about that. We'll dig into why the project matters, how it all came together, the role that community partners are playing in it, and we'll also talk about how leadership programs like Hancock Leadership help turn ideas like this into something that can make a lasting impact. Now, let's get into it. So we'll get into everything uh that Hancock Leadership is uh in a little bit, but really what we want to talk about today is the Hancock Leadership class. Every year, the group selects uh something to do in the community to benefit the community. And you guys took on a really interesting one this year. So let's start there and what the class project is.

Jennie Gilroy 1:31

Um this year's class project is creating safe uh places, it's building a playground in the Riverview Terrace community. Um we're doing this because we think it'll make a really big impact. Um you know, we're gonna revitalize the area. Um, there's right now not really a safe place or a usable playground um in that community. And we've learned that um by doing this, it gives families a place to play and gather and really help the neighborhood.

Doug Jenkins 1:58

Those gathering spaces are really, really important for people just as a reason to get out and about and meet with your neighbors and everything. Uh what were the initial thoughts when this project was pitched to you guys?

Jennie Gilroy 2:11

Um, this project was really compelling to us because it's truly community driven. Local families, property management, and community partners all expressed the same concern that the existing playground is unsafe and largely unusable. Um, and then there was the data from the Hancock Health Um Equities Report that showed a higher health disparity in the area. And it became clear that this project would be a meaningful long-term impact. Um, it's not just about playground equipment, it's about safety, connections, and giving kids a safe, healthy place to play and be kids.

Moving And Refurbishing Equipment

Doug Jenkins 2:42

Well, speaking of the playground equipment, uh, this is all part of a larger project. Uh, you are moving the uh playground equipment from one space out to Riverview Terrace. That uh comes with its own complexities as well. Uh, let's talk a little bit about what that process looks like.

Jennie Gilroy 2:59

So um a big huge thank you to the city. Um they've been tremendous on this project of helping us get that done. Um, they were able to help remove it, they're helping with the painting um and really getting it ready to go for us for the installation of it. Um, thank you for to the Lincoln Um school. Um, I apologize, uh, the property manager there that um donated it. So a big thank you to them. And then also the community, like the uh Fleg City Morning Rotary Club, who um is one of our legacy sponsors and really helping to make this project possible.

Doug Jenkins 3:34

So let's talk about that part of it. That is really interesting. As of the day that we're recording this, which is uh actually on the 29th of January, as opposed to when it will come out. Uh they just made a huge donation. Uh and uh how how are you able to uh obviously there's a lot that goes into these projects. One's the feasibility of it, some of its funding, some of its public relations, some of it's the actual construction, things like that. The funding of any of these projects always is is a big part of it. Uh, but to get the size of the donation that you were able to get today, and I'll let you talk about how much that is, uh, that has to one feel really good, but also uh isn't something that just happens out of out of thin air.

Jennie Gilroy 4:15

Um I've been a Rotarian, not with the Flag City Morning Club, but a Rotarian when when we lived in Archbold. I was also one at Hicksville when we lived there, and and it truly shows the service above oneself that Rotary did with the $10,000 donation to us. But not only that, um moving here recently to Finlay Hancock County, it just shows you how much support and love is in this community uh for one another and um how many organizations work together, and that's really amazing. And I think it's what makes Finlay thrive.

Timeline, Permits, And Prep Work

Doug Jenkins 4:49

It is uh it's awesome to see them get involved like that and see the community get involved with that. So, what happens next? We we know what the project's gonna be. We know that there's funding uh getting put in place to do it, uh, but there's gonna be some manual labor that goes into this. So, when does that part kick off? So probably right now, while it's two below zero out, right? That's the best time to do a project like this.

Jennie Gilroy 5:13

It is. It's a little cold right now to really do the um putting it into the ground. Um, when spring gets here, that'll be when we start doing the physical labor. But till then, there's a lot going into it behind the scenes. Um, we're about halfway to our $20,000 goal. Um, so we still need community support support and sponsorships uh to help with that. Um and there's a lot going on on getting the equipment ready to be installed. So there's the painting of it, um, the planning, the blueprints, getting through um zoning and and um I'm sorry, not zoning, um getting through um the different government things to build a project like that to get through. Um so there's still a lot to do on the back end to even before we can install it. Um, but it's just planning and making sure that we're meeting with the community there too, to make sure we're getting what they envision, not just what we want. Um, because in reality, they're the ones that are going to be using it. They're the ones that need to love this and help their kids. And we want to make sure it's a place that they truly do love and they want to gather there and their kids want to play. And so there's a lot of back end to get it ready uh for that full vision to come into effect.

Doug Jenkins 6:22

That last part I I really hadn't thought about, but to just come in and airdrop a playground in is like, here you go, without really talking with anybody in the community. Sometimes that could feel well-meaning, but not necessarily deliver what you want it to. Uh, that's a big part of how uh have those discussions started. I'm sure there's been some discussions like that. And then how how did those conversations go with the community once you were able to do that?

What Hancock Leadership Teaches

Jennie Gilroy 6:46

So um we were supposed to have a meeting actually this week, but unfortunately the weather decided not to allow that to happen. So we're working on rescheduling that right now. Um, but we've had community leaders talking with the community, and they've you know expressed the need for this playground and wanting some place for their kids to play, and now it's working with them to get exactly what they're wanting within you know our constraints and what financially we are able to do. But what we want to do is make this not for just a year or two, but for generations to really enjoy this playground. Um, and not only parents but grandparents can take their kids to play there and and neighbors can get to know each other. And I think after I'm gonna go back to the COVID days, you know, that isolation, people are wanting places together. They're wanting that connection again, and we want to be able to provide it in that community.

Doug Jenkins 7:32

So, as we mentioned, this is the Hancock Leadership Project for the year. I want to talk just a little bit about Hancock leadership in general, uh, and just get your uh impression of the experiences that you've had so far. You and Matt have uh obviously you were always familiar with Findlay, but uh having moved to the area fairly recently, how has Hancock leadership helped you feel more at home in the community?

Jennie Gilroy 7:55

I've really enjoyed the Hancock Leadership opportunity. Um it's being new to the community, it's really helped me see behind the scenes. Um, it's given me a deeper understanding of some of the local challenges. Um, it's helped me build relationships. Um, it's given me opportunities to volunteer and be part of something that's bigger than myself and um and really learn what Finlay and Hancock County has to offer. Um, and so I think it's a really great way to learn about our community, learn the ways that we can serve our community, and then also make connections and lifelong friends.

Doug Jenkins 8:30

The connections part, I think, is always interesting. We always hear after classes, uh, after you graduate, of connections that continue and everything. But it's really another good way of learning how to work with all different types of people, too, because there's all walks of life really represented in the group. And uh certainly that's something we try and impress upon the youth leadership group, but I think it's always a good thing that uh for the adult leadership group as well, is just learning how to do such a large project with a with a diverse group of personalities.

Working Across Diverse Strengths

Jennie Gilroy 9:01

It is. Um there's all we're all from different walks of life, all different experiences, all different industries, and um to be able to come together and do a project of this magnitude is going to be huge. And um we're learning a lot and how different personalities work together, and and you have introverts and extroverts, and then you have um people that are engineering or mathematical to people that are more social and and how each of us play a part into making this project work.

Doug Jenkins 9:29

So, like we said, there's still fundraising to be done to uh help this project. If somebody uh is interested and maybe they want to learn more, maybe they want to give to the project, how can they go about doing that?

Jennie Gilroy 9:41

If you go to the chamber website, um we have a page on there. If you look up in Google, which is how I did, the 2026 Hancock Leadership, um, it'll bring you up to our page. And um there's ways to donate there. You're more than welcome to reach out to myself or any of the one any of us that are on um the group can help you.

Doug Jenkins 9:59

All right. Uh, and before I let you go, I need to let you I need you to relay a message to Matt uh for me and just let him know that Indian Lake will always be superior to Waynesfield. If you can do that.

Jennie Gilroy 10:11

Oh, that's right.

Doug Jenkins 10:12

Are you a Waynesfield graduate too?

Jennie Gilroy 10:14

I am.

Doug Jenkins 10:14

I'm sorry.

Jennie Gilroy 10:15

That's right. We were actually high school sweethearts.

Doug Jenkins 10:17

Oh, that's that's that's a very nice story. Yeah, so even though your high school was Wainsfield.

Jennie Gilroy 10:23

Um, hey, go go Tigers. We did get to keep our our colors though, the blue and gold. We just get to switch them to the and so it's a great color and love to be back to being blue and gold and um cheering the Trojans on now.

Doug Jenkins 10:39

All right. Well, I I can support that. I can't support any any love of the Waynesfield Goshen Tigers, but uh we're uh we're really happy to have you in the community, and uh I'm I'm really glad that you're getting uh a ton out of Hancock leadership.

Jennie Gilroy 10:50

Yeah, we're I'm really enjoying my experience here and meeting everybody.

Doug Jenkins 10:54

Well, thank you for taking time out of your afternoon and joining us on the podcast today.

Jennie Gilroy 10:58

All right, thanks, Doug.

Doug Jenkins 11:00

That'll wrap up another edition of Chamber Amplified. Big thanks to Jenny Gilroy for joining me and for the leadership that her class is showing through this year's Hancock Leadership Project. I think it's a really nice example of how community-driven ideas, strong partnerships, and planning. Let's talk about the planning. That's a big part of it, and they're doing all of that through their leadership class. Well, that makes a real difference to people in the community. If you'd like to learn more about Hancock leadership, maybe what this year's class is doing, or maybe if you'd like to enroll in next year's class, you can do that through our website. You can also financially support the Riverview Terrace Playground Project through the Chamber of Commerce website as well. As always, if you're enjoying the podcast, be sure to subscribe, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who cares about the future of our local business community. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time on Chamber Amplified from the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.