Building the kiosk: a lesson in Leadership

This leadership lesson came in the form of an informational kiosk.

Participants: The Leadership Carson City class of 2004.

Mission: Complete a kiosk about the Waterfall fire as a community service project. On Saturday, graduates of the class and workers built the kiosk's roof and painted it.

After 10 months of classes, 24 business leaders celebrated their graduation from Leadership Carson City this week.

The class teaches about government, leadership skills and local business. Since 1989, participants have toured and discussed the finer points of running the city.

It was 10 months full of laughter, learning and a lesson on not biting off more than you can chew.

Reggie Lang, a civil engineer with Capital Engineering, said in his address to the class, that the desire for community service was so strong that they decided to build seven informational kiosks about the Waterfall fire. And that might have been a little too much.

The wildfire, started by a smoldering campfire, burned 8,723 acres and 18 homes in west Carson City from July 14 to 20.

He said the project was quickly reduced to the more manageable number of six kiosks, then to one.

"Now we're nearing 90 percent completion on getting the roof done on it," he said. "It will be on Kings Canyon Road at the top of the pavement."

The announcement received laughter and applause around the room in the Piñon Plaza Resort.

"We were resigned to build the one," he said. "And two weekends ago, we broke ground on the coldest day."

Workers made better progress on a warmer weekend. Lang said he is confident other community-service groups will come forward to complete the other five kiosks. Lang said he'll lend his expertise to build the next one.

This was Leadership's biggest graduating class, and had the additional distinction of having no dropouts, said Jeff Smeath, chairman of the Carson City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, who gave the keynote address, said taking the leadership class is a valuable investment in community awareness.

"The Leadership program is a valuable program in the community," he said. "Not just in Carson City, but also the Reno one. Too many people don't want to get involved. It's great to have people who will take the time to attend."

Cashell fielded a few questions and received glowing praise from the audience for his influence on Reno's development.

Graduate Patricia Hon, president of the Carson City branch of Colonial Bank, said she wished she had a cap to fling into the air.

Graduate Teresa Shouppe, branch service manager and assistant vice president at Nevada State Bank, said she learned the most at the seminar on the judicial system.

"(The class) took a whole year, but graduation came faster than I thought it would," she said, before rushing off to get in the class picture.

Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.