New program manager named for Leadership Lake County

Leadership Lake County has appointed Jay McDonald as its new program manager.

McDonald, of Mentor, began his duties July 25 for Leadership Lake County and oversees the Youth Leadership Academy, Junior Leadership and Community Builders programs. He is responsible for curricular, logistical and financial planning, and execution of these three programs designed to develop leadership skills in high school sophomores and juniors, adolescents, and young professionals.

His responsibilities entail providing regular reports on program outcomes for internal and external communications, collaboration on grant writing and reporting, data management on participants and school contacts, and budget planning and management for assigned programs.

“To me, it’s all about developing the class members, helping them walk away from the program with a lot more than they started with and make it beneficial for their future,” McDonald said.

McDonald served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years and retired in 2012 as a master chief petty officer.

McDonald earned master’s degrees in business administration from the University of West Florida and aeronautical science in safety and operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

After leaving the Navy, McDonald spent five years as a production and sales director for a Mentor manufacturing company and volunteered for Leadership Lake County as a Junior Leadership coach and Career Panel member.

He is a member of Leadership Lake County’s Signature Program Class of 2016.

Leadership Lake County CEO Jessie Baginski said McDonald is a great addition to the organization.

“Jay’s life, business, military and training experiences were the best fit for our needs today and in the future,” she said. “He has demonstrated his commitment to our youth programs over the last two years through volunteer service as a project coach and career speaker. I know he will take our programs to even higher levels of community engagement and position all of his students for future success in all that they pursue.”

One of the goals McDonald has is to expand Leadership Lake County program participation by connecting more within the community as well as with school district officials and counselors.

“I would like to get more involvement with the schools,” he said. “I want to be out there with the counselors and students because I don’t think there is enough awareness about this in the community.”

Leadership Lake County seeks to develop and engage existing and future leaders within highly interactive leadership development programs in community-based settings while in pursuit of civic and economic excellence in Lake County and surrounding communities.

The private nonprofit organization was established in 1986.

McDonald