Reinventing the Wheeler

Smith & Jones’ Co-Operative, Amanda Wheeler, became a graduate of The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s award-winning Leadership Institute program. Wheeler and 23 other Capital Region professionals were selected for the program last August. The unique skills-based leadership experience provided the training to advance their careers, helping them gain insight on real-life situations from the area’s most accomplished executives.

"I loved it. I met people from different industries and got the exposure to local leaders, like Gary Dake, President of Stewart’s shops and Tom Geisel, former President of KeyBank,” said Wheeler. “The training far exceeds anything you could get on the job and you capture a bigger perspective than you could get at your desk. The class toured cool facilities like SUNY’s Cancer Research Center and had a chance to play the bestselling video game in the U.S., Guitar Hero at Vicarious Visions.”

In addition to the training from the region’s leading executives, the program featured an overnight retreat at the Capital District YMCA’s Camp Chingachgook on Lake George to kick things off in September. When asked to recall her unique experience, Wheeler replied, “What happens at Chingachgook, stays at Chingachgook.”

The Class of 2008 officially concluded with an April 10 graduation dinner and ceremony at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom, located at 126 Campbell Avenue in Troy.