Muhlenberg Civic Leadership Institute

Applications are now open for the 2026 Program!

Striving to support and develop Muhlenberg's next community leaders, the Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce and the Felix E. Martin Jr. Foundation partner to offer a local leadership program that engages emerging leaders through a deep dive into the resources available and challenges facing the County, inviting participants to explore the leadership interventions required to address these challenges.  

Like many regions, Muhlenberg County faces many challenges as it adapts to changing realities including the economic landscape, demographic shifts, access to health care, concerns over educational outcomes, and increased poverty and inequality.  Engaging the full community will be essential to proactively confronting challenges as they arise. 

The Muhlenberg Civic Leadership Institute is open to aspiring community leaders who are willing to dedicate the time and effort over eight months focusing on building networks and community knowledge while learning about the diagnosis of community challenges and the design of leadership interventions needed to address the challenges.  Each month, the class focuses on one subject area, touring local resources and hearing from current leaders in the areas of Education & Workforce Development, Business & Economy, Health & Human Services, Tourism, Arts & Quality of Life, Agriculture, and Local Government.  Throughout the year, class members are encouraged to identify and design a project which addresses one of the challenges or opportunities that they discovered through the course of the year. 

For more information, you can download the MCLI 2024 Brochure,

Applications must be completed and submitted by February 16,2026.