The Liberty County Chamber of Commerce has kicked off its 2015-16 Leadership Liberty class.

Leadership Liberty is an eight-month class, in which class participants meet at least once per month and learn about various functions of the community, including county and city  government, public health, public education, tourism and economic development.

Class participants met for the first time Oct. 2 and partook in activities that fostered teamwork and leadership. Chamber CEO Leah Poole led the session on the facets of leadership and the importance of communication.  

The next day, Leadership Liberty class participants woke up early to begin a day full of physical and mental challenges. Completing the COPE Course at the Fort Stewart Youth Challenge Academy was the task for the day. Class members had to maneuver their way through the course while working together as a team.

“Participating in the high elements of the ropes course really brought our group together,” said Erin Johnson, Chamber office manager and class participant. “Not only did we help and encourage one another, we had a great time doing it!”

Class participants had the opportunity to zip-line and rappel, along with performing several low-element exercises.

“It’s always fun starting the Leadership Liberty class,” Poole said. “You never really know what group mix you are walking into, and it looks like to me that this year’s class is sure to be fun and come away with a lot of information on how they can build a better Liberty County.”