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On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, twenty-one local leaders graduated from Leadership Pickens County (LPC) Class XXXIV at The Loom Venue in Easley, South Carolina. Established in 1991, Leadership Pickens County is sponsored by the chambers of commerce in Pickens County and provides a framework of experiences for local leaders to become more informed and actively involved in the decision-making processes of their community. LPC consists of an opening retreat followed by nine full-day sessions addressing areas in leadership skills, diversity, education, local & state government, healthcare, community service, economic development, and tourism/recreation. In addition to the community service session, the class selects a community project to be completed before graduation day. Leadership Pickens County Class XXXIV selected the Whole Health Kitchen Garden, a curriculum-based program at the Dream Center, as their project. This program aims to teach residents how to plan meals, garden, and produce their own food. To aid this, the class diligently raised over $23,950 to construct a mobile chicken coop to produce fresh eggs, garden beds to grow vegetables, and much more. We are thankful for their work to better the community. Please join us in congratulating the Leadership Pickens County Class XXXIV on completing their curriculum and project. The 21 leaders are: Jeromy Arnett - Alliance Pickens Tonya Burris - The Dream Center Reed Cole - Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital Foundation Patricia Fazekas - Pickens County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs Samantha Greer - County of Pickens Danielle Hess - City of Easley Parks & Recreation Department Lesa Howard - The Storehouse of Pickens County Jordan Hunt - Fort Hill Natural Gas Authority Laura Potuto Kaufmann - Tri-County Technical College Weston Lazear - SDPC Career & Technology Center Jennifer Magaha - Alabaster House Recovery for Women Cameron McCall - Marsh Bell Construction Company, Inc. Katie Murphy - YMCA of Easley, Pickens, and Powdersville Paige Pittard - United Community Bank Tim Lee Self - AnMed Foundation Destini Anderson Pratt - County of Pickens Wendy H. Stafford - The Peoples Bank Matt Smith - United Way of Pickens County Camden Tate - Connect Property Management Sarah Wilson - Provenance Staffing Leslie Wilder – City of Clemson