Leadership Chatuge

Developing Leaders. Strengthening Community.

Leadership Chatuge is a 12-week leadership development experience designed to help participants better understand the community they call home while strengthening practical leadership skills and building meaningful connections.

Serving Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina and Towns County in Georgia, Leadership Chatuge brings together emerging leaders, seasoned professionals, lifelong residents, and newcomers who want to learn more about our region and discover ways to become more engaged in their communities.

Throughout the program, participants will explore topics including:

• Regional history
• Economic development
• Effective communication
• Understanding poverty
• Local nonprofit and community services
• Volunteer opportunities
• Social determinants of health
• Community resources and engagement

Participants will hear from community leaders and subject matter experts, connect with fellow participants, and gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and resources within the Chatuge region.

Since Leadership Chatuge began in 2018, eight cohorts and 100 participants have completed the program. Participants have ranged in age from 15 to 80 and represent a wide variety of professional, personal, and community leadership experiences.

Program Details

Dates: February 4 – April 22, 2027 (Every Thursday)
Time: 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Location: Hinton Rural Life Center
Cost: $425 per person

Registration includes all program materials and dinner each week.

Applications Open October 1, 2026

Whether you have lived here your entire life or recently made the mountains home, Leadership Chatuge offers an opportunity to know your community better, strengthen your leadership skills, build new relationships, and discover where your gifts can make a difference.

Just add $425 if register by December 31 and $450 if registering in January.

Register Online Here:
Application for Leadership Chatuge 2027 - Hinton Center