Peterman among chamber’s 2024 Leadership Columbia graduates

What does it mean to be a leader? This was the question AgFirst’s Director of Information Technology Andrea Peterman contemplated before enrolling in Leadership Columbia. Offered by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the program – now in its 53rd year – develops emerging community leaders while providing educational experiences with a strong emphasis on social and community awareness. 

When AgFirst presented Peterman with the opportunity to join Leadership Columbia, she embraced the challenge. Over the course of 10 months, Peterman and nearly 60 other area professionals participated in nine intensive day-long sessions, a two-day retreat, a collaborative class project and a variety of sessions designed to hone leadership skills and deepen community involvement. 

The signature component of Leadership Columbia is its class project, which fosters team building and leverages the expertise of its members to address a community need. This year’s project focused on transforming the outdoor space of Serve & Connect’s new community center. Serve & Connect aims to foster positive relationships between citizens and law enforcement through sustainable partnerships. The organization’s vision was to create a welcoming space that would enhance safety and trust within the community near Decker Boulevard. 

To bring this vision to life, participants were divided into several committees, each tasked with specific responsibilities. Peterman joined the administrative and landscaping committees, where she was involved with securing donations for the landscaping efforts, in addition to the on-site work required to beautify the center. She turned to AgFirst for financial support, and the bank donated $1,500 to the beautification of the new center, which opened in May on Brookfield Road. 

“It means so much that AgFirst not just supports me, but also wants to support community-based efforts," Peterman said. “It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that the organization you work for cares about the region where it’s based and invests in community initiatives like this.” 

Through collective efforts to support this community project, participation in leadership skill-building sessions and learning from fellow professionals, Peterman can now answer the question she pondered before starting the program. 

“Part of being a leader is remembering to go outside the box and not being afraid to tackle hard things. Opportunities and situations will not always be perfect, but don't shy away from them,” she said. “As a leader, you don’t have to know everything, but you should be growing and taking on new challenges.” 

Thanks to her involvement in Leadership Columbia, Peterman not only developed her leadership skills but also made an impact by supporting Serve & Connect’s goal of creating a welcoming place that enables community-building between law enforcement and Northeast Columbia residents.