History Of CCLI

Robert Lucas, President of Wilmington College, had been a participant in the Leadership Cincinnati program while principal at Princeton High School. With support from Dorothy Moore, a Wilmington Area Chamber of Commerce Board member, he chaired a task force in May 1986 to explore founding of the independent Clinton County Leadership Institute. Over 80 Clinton County business and community leaders purchased $7,600 in bonds to hire Claudia Damschroder as first Program Coordinator and to begin the first Leadership Clinton class in Spring 1987. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation status was achieved shortly thereafter.

Lennis Perkins designed logos for the Institute, selecting green and gold for the agricultural nature of Clinton County. Green stands for growth while gold represents the importance of future leadership to the quality of life in Clinton County.