Leadership Cape teams pitch diverse projects

Creativity may pave the way for Cape Girardeau enhancements as Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce offered teams an opportunity to present ideas as part of the Leadership Cape program. Five teams presented their ideas at the chamber's First Friday Coffee held at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau Event Center.

The projects are intended to give participants experience working in groups with different personalities and talents. It's fascinating to see what these groups come up with when they combine their thoughts into something they believe will be beneficial to the community.

The sky is the limit with these projects. In fact, one team's proposal was the erection of a "skybridge" to connect the Marquette Tower and the H-H Building, along with a "Solaris Event Center" on top of the Marquette Tower.

Other ideas were a downtown music festival, Southeast Missouri State University Rowdy mascot fundraising statues, a mentoring program and a fusion culinary center.

From entertainment to dining to fundraising and education, each team suggested that its proposal would add interest and revenue to Cape Girardeau. Each sought to demonstrate the value of its creation.

Beyond the creations themselves, and whether they will ever go from creativity to reality, we commend the willingness to engage in the process. It's never easy to collaborate on a product and follow it through to completion. That's why this is called an exercise in leadership. Working on something like this shows people what they're made of. It reveals the leadership skills they already have, but it also sharpens them.

We agree with Kim Voelker, the vice president of community development for the chamber, who said, as the Southeast Missourian's Mark Bliss wrote, "The proposed projects and programs may not come to fruition. But Â… the teamwork is designed to build leadership skills."

The Leadership Cape program is valuable to participants. Each class has an opportunity to tour different businesses, including the Southeast Missourian on media day. The goal is to get members more information on their community, expose them to leadership principles in business, and give them a practical experience working with others. That's where the projects come into play. While several community initiatives have been sparked by Leadership Cape projects, the ultimate goal is to learn from the process.

Congratulations to the five teams: In Vino Veritas, Gettin' Rowdy, Dirty Aprons, Team Connect and Team Skyview for your hard work and leadership. And who knows? Maybe Cape will soon see your dream become reality.