Fort Walton Beach City Councilwoman Joyce Gossom has always believed in executing the will of her constituents, but she says she has become even more convinced of that in recent months.
Gossom is one of 55 people from across the state participating in the 31st annual class of Leadership Florida. The program, which was created in 1982 by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, brings together educators, business owners, public officials and executives of nonprofit agencies for an eight-month study of leadership.
“It’s such an eclectic group,” Gossom said. “We meet every other month … in a different area of Florida.”
The class began its program in Howey-in-the-Hills and has since met in Naples and Jacksonville. It is scheduled to gather in Tallahassee in March for the legislative session and close out the year in Miami.
For Gossom, the best part of the program has been learning from her classmates and the professionals brought in to share their ideas.
“They bring in speakers who are the recognized experts in that field,” she said.
Topics have included the history of Florida, the state’s environment and agriculture, and health care.
During the meetings the class participated in a mock legislative budget session.
“It was lots of fun,” Gossom said. “We had a House, a Senate, a speaker, a Senate president and a governor and her Cabinet.”
With numbers from Florida’s actual budget, class members agreed on a spending plan that increased funding for education and health care.
“It was amazing in this group of people … that we all came back with budgets that did those same things,” she said.
Gossom said her time in Leadership Florida has reminded her of the importance of getting feedback from the people she serves in Fort Walton Beach.
“You are there to implement the plans the people want,” she said. “You’re not there to do what you think is best.”
To prepare for each meeting’s theme, Gossom and the other participants are assigned background readings.
The course has been rigorous but well worth the effort, she said.
“I’m very glad I did it.”
Although the class is filled with “people who are at the top of their game” and who are from vastly different fields, the group has been able to find common ground.
“It’s so wonderful because no one in there introduces themselves by their position,” Gossom said. “If you introduce yourself by your position, you probably wouldn’t do well in Leadership Florida.”
The program has reinforced the idea that they all have been given leadership abilities for a reason.
“You have these abilities, you have these awarenesses, you have these opportunities because you were meant to do something with them,” Gossom said. “Not just to say you have them. … It’s about, ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘How are you going to pay it forward?’ ”
