County Commission | The Magazine April 2017 | Page 34

NEWS YOU CAN USE
A passion for developing leaders
L
egendary coach Vince Lombardi
encouraged to pursue other leadership
Hargrove said that seeing the
once said leaders are made,
roles in the future.
students get excited about the
not born. Some leaders learn as
Hargrove upped the ante last
classroom elections and their ideas for
they go, while others are groomed.
month when he loaded the group of
improving the community is his greatest
Some turn new experiences into an
over 30 students on a school bus
reward with the project. And although
opportunity for growth, while others are for a field trip to Montgomery. The
the PLAN 2016 group has completed
given the tools for success and face
day began with a trip to the Alabama
its journey, the two-term commissioner
the challenge when the time is right.
Statehouse, where students met their
plans to continue building his Passion
For a group of high school seniors in
local legislators and watched as bills
Project with the students of East
Lawrence County finding their way in
moved one step closer to becoming
Lawrence High School. He wants to
the world, that time is now.
law. They concluded their Montgomery keep the project going for years
Lawrence County Commissioner
tour at the Alabama Capitol, where the to come, giving every East Lawrence
Joey Hargrove is no
stranger to charting
his own path to
leadership. When he
was first elected in
2010, he didn’t know
the ins and outs of
county government.
He dedicated
countless hours to
relearning things
about governmental
organization he had
not thought about in
decades, because
he felt like he owed
it to his community.
He knew that if the
future of Lawrence
County was to rest in
Jamie Martin, Governor’s Office
the hands of the next
generation, there had East Lawrence High School’s Class of 2017 and Commissioner Joey Hargrove at Alabama’s historic capitol building.
to be a better way.
When the inaugural PLAN group
students learned about the history
student the opportunity to learn more
of 2016 was charged with developing
of Alabama’s government and the
about local and state government
a Passion Project, for Hargrove it
role of the executive branch in the
during their senior year.
was an easy decision. He chose to
legislative process.
“I think we may have a future
teach local high school students about
“It was really cool to see where
commissioner or two in this group,”
county government and how it affects
all of our laws are made and what the
said Hargrove with a laugh. “I hope I’ve
their everyday lives. As his first order
process looks like,” said one
opened their eyes to how government
of business, he had the group of high
East Lawrence senior. “It’s one thing
works, and how critically important
school seniors elect classroom officials. to learn about all of this from a
these roles are for the county. You can
He hoped that by giving them the
textbook, but it adds meaning to it
never be too young to think about ways
opportunity to take on a leadership
when you get to see the legislators
that you can better your community.” n
role in the classroom, they would be
and landmarks in person.”
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