Citizen engagement

 

Supervisors Peterson (l) Sharpe (r) and GLE chair Pete Williams (2nd from l) welcome students to the culinary arts center. 

Good government does not happen in a vacuum. It takes the commitment of honorable elected officials kept in check by citizen attention to their actions. Too often, people ignore local government, which has more impact on daily life than state or federal, to their peril.

In an effort to increase interest in all facets of the county, Goochland Leadership Enterprise (GLE) was founded in 1996 as a way for residents to learn about Goochland government and interact with elected and appointed officials. Over the years, GLE graduates have served the community in ways ranging from supervisor to Christmas Mother. GLE class members have enriched themselves and bettered the community with their service.

Comprised of fourteen sessions from September to March, GLE participants "take a look under the hood" and learn what makes Goochland work. Topics covered include education, the county budget, law enforcement, fire-rescue, courts, and non-profit organizations. The classes also travel to Richmond to meet with the Goochland delegation to the Virginia General Assembly.

A subtle, but perhaps more important benefit of GLE is the opportunity to interact with residents from every part of Goochland and all walks of life to appreciate Goochland as a whole.

On February 1, the current GLE class, under the direction of Pete Williams, had the opportunity to meet with their supervisors while enjoying a delicious dinner prepared and served by the culinary arts section of Goochland High School's Career and Technical Education department. Chef David Booth explained that the students involved in the evening's meal volunteered their time and talents for the event. Following dinner, the class attended the evening part of the monthly supervisors' meeting.

GLE participants chat with supervisors over dinner

Go to https://goochland.ext.vt.edu/ for more information about GLE. Visit them on Facebook under Goochland Leadership Enterprise. The next class starts in September.