Leadership Lawton Fort Sill extends class registration deadline

Southwestern Oklahomans who want to make an impact in their community can always rely on Leadership Lawton Fort Sill’s Leadership Development Program.

Leadership Lawton Fort Sill should know, they’ve done this for 34 years.

This time, the Class 34 registration deadline has been extended to July 31, due to applications being sent to a faulty email, according to Joe Elkins, president of Leadership Lawton Fort Sill.

“When we put the application on the website, it was for the wrong email,” Elkins said.

Applications are usually sent to a designated email, Elkins said. The email applicants were sending them to, however, was an old email. The application and website said the original deadline was for July 10.

Leadership Lawton Fort Sill’s Leadership Development Program helps prepare, involve and sustain leaders from diverse backgrounds to address community challenges in the Lawton-Comanche County area, according to its website.

Classes meet once a month, with a daily trip set up by the board of directors, Elkins said. The trips include eight-hour excursions to different areas relating to a theme such as Fort Sill Day, Health and Service Day and Media Day. Agendas are set up that tell leaders-in-training where to go and what to do. The day trips are to help others understand leadership and their community.

At the end of every year, the graduating class will complete a class project that impacts the community in some way, Elkins said. Last year’s graduating Class 33 installed free little libraries at four different locations in Lawton.

All adults residing in Southwest Oklahoma are eligible to apply. Tuition is $695 and is due by Nov. 26. An application fee of $25 will be assessed.

Classes start Aug. 8 and will last until June 12, 2025.