Leadership Greenville Class 53 Application

Eligibility & Requirements

Leadership Greenville is designed to help develop informed, committed, passionate, and qualified leaders for Greenville County. Through facilitated sessions and curated experiences, Leadership Greenville develops leadership of self, leadership with others, and leadership within community, equipping participants to create positive and meaningful impact.

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A. Selection Process

You must complete this application in one session. Before beginning, we recommend gathering all necessary information and drafting your essay responses in a Word document for easy copying and pasting into the application.

You must submit your application on or before 11:59pm on April 1, 2026.

Your application must be submitted electronically only; no other forms will be accepted. The selection committee is made up of a select group of Leadership Greenville Alumni and Chamber senior staff who review and score all applications received independently, then convene for final selection decisions.

Final selection decisions will consider the following:

(1) Commitment to the Leadership Greenville class requirements and project team impact

(2) Desire to improve leadership potential

(3) Diversity of age, background, race, gender, perspectives, and life experiences

(4) Civic involvement and commitment to Greenville.

Applicants will be notified of the Selection Committee’s decision by email no later than June 30, 2026. If you do not receive notification by that date, please contact Cheryl Garrison at cgarrison@greenvillechamber.org.

B. Eligibility

The Leadership Greenville program is designed for experienced leaders who want to significantly increase their impact on their organization and their community. This includes senior executives, presidents and vice presidents, executive directors, business owners, and high-level directors and managers, representing all industries, sectors, and business types within our community. Classes are selected annually from a pool of applicants to be representative of our diverse community.

While not a requirement, participation in Leadership Greenville is recommended to business professionals who have either worked or lived in Greenville County for at least two years. Except in rare circumstances, only one applicant per organization is accepted each year to ensure diversity across industries and sectors represented in the class.

You may participate in Leadership Greenville only with the written endorsement and consent of the CEO or your direct report of your company or organization (see application). If you are an entrepreneur, you can provide your own statement of understanding and commitment.

C. Tuition

There is no application fee for Leadership Greenville. Tuition for Leadership Greenville Class 53 is as follows: For Investors (members) of the Greenville Chamber, tuition is $4,550. For all others, tuition is $5,550.

If you are selected to participate, Leadership Greenville must receive payment in full prior to the mandatory Orientation in August or you forfeit your place in the class.

Tuition cannot be refunded after Orientation.

D. Deferral

If selected for Leadership Greenville Class 53 and unable to participate, you must reapply for a future class year. Deferrals are considered only under special circumstances and must be approved by Chamber leadership.

E. Time Commitment

There is a dedicated time commitment to the Leadership Greenville class experience. Leadership Greenville typically meets the first Wednesday (all day) of each month except when affected by holidays, etc. There is a required opening two-day retreat in mid-September and one-day closing retreat in May. Adherence to attendance requirements (two class days or equivalent hours missed) and engaged participation in class projects are required to maintain good standing and graduate from Leadership Greenville. Exceeding the class absence policy is grounds for dismissal with no tuition refund.

Class Schedule

Orientation August 26, 2026 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Opening Retreat (Mandatory) September 16 & 17, 2026 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Class Day #1 October 7, 2026 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Class Day #2 November 4, 2026 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Class Day #3 December 2, 2026 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Class Day #4 January 6, 2027 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Class Day #5 February 10, 2027 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Class Day #6 March 3, 2027 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Class Day #7 April 7, 2027 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Closing Retreat May 5, 2027 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
Graduation May 12, 2027 TBD (evening)

Class members will also work on community service projects that will be chosen at the beginning of the Leadership Greenville experience, to be completed during the LG class year. Any meeting dates or volunteer service will take place outside of scheduled class days and are decided on by each project team.

Applicant Information

NOTE: You will not be able to save responses and later return to the form. It is recommended that you draft the essay answers in a Word document and then copy/paste them when you complete the entire application in one sitting.

Full Name

First Name

Last Name

First Name (name you liked to be called)

Name of Company or Organization.

Briefly describe your current role.

Geographic scope of organization/business

Organization Type

Industry Type

Is your employer an Investor (member) of the Greenville Chamber?

Work Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

City

State / Province

Postal / Zip code

Home Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

City

State / Province

Postal / Zip code

Work Email

example@example.com

Personal Email

example@example.com

Mobile Phone

Please enter a valid phone number.

Work Phone

Please enter a valid phone number.

How many years have you lived and/or worked in the Greenville area cumulatively?

Have you previously applied to Leadership Greenville?

Have you participated in Opportunity Greenville?

Please list the Greenville Chamber programs or committees, if any, have you participated in.

Are you currently employed?

Are you currently self-employed?

How did you learn about Leadership Greenville?

Demographic Information

We strive to ensure that our community is represented in each Leadership Greenville class. Thank you for providing the following information.

What is your gender?

What is your age range?

What is your race or ethnicity?

Are you a veteran or active member of the military?

Awards and Recognition

Please list any advanced degrees, awards, and/or recognitions you have received.

Community Service

Please share your community service experiences (in the last 5 - 7 years) in Greenville County (and/or last community) by listing the organization(s) served, position held, time/years of service.

Essay Questions

Question 1: What motivates you to participate in Leadership Greenville Class 53 and what do you hope to gain from this experience?

Question 2: What life experiences and perspectives do you bring to the class that would make you a unique participant?

Question 3: Transportation, affordable housing, and education/workforce development among others are the most significant challenges facing our community. What do you feel are additional challenges or opportunities facing Greenville County?

Question 4: Research shows that diverse perspectives strengthen teams and communities fostering creativity and innovation. What strategies or practices have you used to ensure that people in your network or organization feel valued for their individuality and are encouraged to contribute their unique perspectives? Please provide specific examples.

Question 5: What is your commitment to Leadership Greenville and what will you as an individual bring to this class and our community?

Required Documents

The following documents are required as part of your application to Leadership Greenville: Professional resume, letter of supervisor support, and letter of recommendation.

Professional Resume

Letter of Supervisor Support (stating that employer supports the time commitment to the LG experience).

Letter of Recommendation

Additional Letter of Recommendation (not required)

Payment & Employer Verification

Name of Supervisor/CEO granting approval for participation in Leadership Greenville

Supervisor Email

Person responsible for payment (payor)

Payor Email Address

Scholarship Information

Leadership Greenville program scholarships are awarded based on financial need or some other demonstrated hardship through a committee review. A limited number of partial scholarships are available (not to exceed $2250).

Every request will receive confidential, thorough, and fair assessment; every effort to be supportive will be made. Leadership Greenville offers only partial financial assistance to those individuals who clearly cannot otherwise afford the program tuition. Requests must be made at the time of your application. If your circumstances change and you no longer are in need of a scholarship, please email cgarrison@greenvillechamber.org to provide that update.

Your request for tuition assistance in no way influences the selection process and is completely confidential. Each request will be reviewed by a Chamber committee independent of the selection process and will have no effect on class selection.

The first step of the scholarship process is included in this online application. In the section below, please indicate that you are interested in a scholarship. A scholarship application will be sent via email. Complete the scholarship application by the enclosed due date. Reach out to cgarrison@greenvillechamber.org if you have any questions.

Are you interested in applying for a partial scholarship? (If you answer YES, you will receive a scholarship application via email before or immediately following the Leadership Greenville application deadline.)

Commitment

Include your signature in the box below to confirm your understanding of the following statements.

I confirm that the information in this Leadership Greenville application is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

I understand that participation in the Leadership Greenville experience requires a commitment to attend each of the monthly sessions in their entirety and that the Opening Retreat is mandatory.

I understand that missing more than two program days (or equivalent hours) are grounds for dismissal from the program without refund of tuition.

I understand that a major component of the program is a community service project that puts my leadership learnings into practice. The project will require significant time outside of program days, and it is mandatory that each class member is actively engaged with their project.

I commit the time and energy required to fully engage and be present in the Leadership Greenville experience.

I understand that my tuition must be paid in full prior to the Orientation to ensure my participation in the class.

Signature

On behalf of the Greenville Chamber and the Leadership Greenville Selection Committee, we sincerely appreciate your interest in applying for Leadership Greenville Class 53 and look forward to receiving your application.

Respectfully,

Dr. Cheryl Garrison

Executive Director of Greenville Chamber Foundation & Vice President of Talent, Education, and Leadership

Greenville Chamber

Contact Information