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Emerging leaders in West Des Moines and Johnston will have new avenues to learn more about their communities and become involved. Both cities’ chambers of commerce have developed leadership programs that are gearing up to begin classes this fall.

The West Des Moines Leadership Academy plans to recruit an inaugural class of 30 participants, said Rose Breuss, who chairs the program’s steering committee.

“I knew that so many of the other chambers had leadership groups, and I just brought it to the (West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce) board’s attention, and they said go with it,” she said. “We felt there was a real need because the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute (GDMLI) gets a lot more applicants than they can accept. And I think it’s just very important for upcoming leaders to have a chance to get involved in leadership roles, and just to be able to let them know more about what’s happening in our community.”

At the same time, the Johnston Chamber of Commerce is organizing the Johnston Leadership Seminars, a program designed for individuals working for any of its member businesses or organizations.

Forming Johnston’s leadership program was a process that began a year and a half ago, said Phil Dunshee, executive director of the Johnston chamber.

“The chamber board went through a planning process to identify issues in the community they could be working on,” Dunshee said. “Out of that process they identified about a dozen issues of what we could to do make the community stronger. One of those was a gap in leaders who could serve in nonprofit and public-sector positions.”

The initial class size will likely be about 15 participants, Dunshee said. A curriculum is now being finalized and nominations are being accepted through June 13.

Johnston’s selection process will begin with nominations from employers, Dunshee said. “There are business owners who have up-and-coming people who have the potential to play leadership roles,” he said. “Those are the people we’re interested in.”

A number of Greater Des Moines chambers have formed their own leadership organizations, and the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute is “very supportive” of those efforts, said Dave Caris, current GDMLI board chairman.

“In fact, oftentimes we’ll offer them information and advice on programs,” he said. “I guess our feeling is that the more people we can run through community leadership programs, the better off we all are.”

Formed in 1982, the GDMLI has more than 1,500 graduates. It received more than 300 nominations this year from those alumni for the 2008-09 class, from which up to 55 people will be selected.

Breuss said the West Des Moines program, which is open to anyone who lives in, works in or has an interest in West Des Moines, is based on research of many of the other chambers’ leadership programs and “pulling from the best of everything they had to offer.”

Though the West Des Moines chamber is covering the academy’s start-up costs, its goal is to become

a stand-alone program, primarily through the tuition charged, she said. “And we have a lot of talented leaders who are offering their services pro bono, which is going to help the bottom line,” she said. “We are committed to having a state-of-the-art, quality program.”

Similarly, the Johnston chamber found a lot of resources to draw from, Dunshee said. “The committee took those and tried to shape those into a program that will really be of benefit to our community,” he said. “When you see the curriculum, there will be elements from a lot of other programs, but hopefully it ties the bow so that it really fits Johnston.”