It’s in the books. The ambitious 7th year White County CEO Class culminated with the annual Trade Show Monday night. With 16 students this year, organizers were forced to find a larger venue and hundreds descended on The Roads Church in Norris City to check out the entrepreneurial spirit of this year’s leaders from Norris City and Carmi-White County seniors. The CEO of White County CEO, Emma Roedder was named Tuesday morning as the Entrepreneur of the year, an award recognizing leadership and professionalism throughout the entire year. Salesperson of the year was won by Brenna Russell; her business Midwest Magazine showcases models and photographers from the region.
My business is called Midwest Magazine. I’m a senior model for a photographer in Evansville. I’m also on the yearbook staff. Both of those things together led me to want to help give both models and photographers more of a platform in the Midwest because they are severely underrepresented in the magazine industry.
So how do you top your biggest class ever of White County CEO students? You add 4. Facilitator Tracy Orr says they’ve accepted 21 students into the upcoming class.
I don’t know that we’ll actually start with 21 because sometimes students can’t fit it into their schedules. So we may whittle down but right now it’s set at 21. I’m so excited. It’s going to be a challenge, but this group because they were so amazing; I think they’ve set me up to where I’m like, it’s ok, we can do it, it’s just what, 4 more?
All the students talked about the experience as being a positive one and many went on and on about the value of having such great leadership, mentors. You can listen to individual interviews with most of the White County CEO students below.
