This is Richland County CEO Member, Xander Holtz, with my final CEO goodbye post. First, I want to thank everyone who made this journey possible. A special thank you goes to Sheri Gray, our amazing facilitator, Herman Zuber, my mentor, and all of the investors, board members, mentors, facilitators, and community members who supported us throughout the year. My favorite part of CEO was all of the business tours, with Prairie Farms being my favorite. It was incredible to see such a large operation that started right here in our small town. Through both the micro-business and class business experiences, I learned how to lead a group, delegate tasks, and work as part of a team. Those are lessons I will carry with me throughout life and my business journey.
What I will miss most is spending time with my CEO class. We started the year as strangers, but through all of the successes and failures, we became great friends and valuable additions to each other’s personal networks. My advice to the Class of 2027 is to not treat CEO as just another class. Embrace the journey and fully invest your time and effort into it. You will gain so much more from the experience and enjoy it much more along the way.