LEWISBURG – Thirty-one business representatives graduated Thursday night from the eight month long Leadership Susquehanna Valley Program.

The LSV Program prepares Valley business people for leadership positions within the area’s communities. Alumni go on to serve on such organizations as Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA.

LSV alumni are active leaders in their communities and one exceptional individual was honored for her work Thursday night.

Patty Bennett, advertising manager of The Daily Item and member of the LSV Class of 1995, was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Guy Temple Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award.

The Guy Temple Award was established in 2002 to honor a LSV alumnus who has demonstrated exemplary regional and community leadership. Nominees are evaluated on their service, leadership and achievement in their communities.

“In simpler terms, someone who takes the LSV experience to heart, then gets involved to the benefit of all of us,” said Steve Stanko, chair of the LSV Development Committee.

Bennet serves as: a board member and committee chairperson for LSV; the co-chair of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce ATHENA® Committee; a member (and past president) of the Milton Rotary Club; a member of the Sunbury River Festival Committee and Sunbury Revitalization Inc.; a mentor and facilitator for the Junior Achievement Young Women’s Futures Symposium; a volunteer for the Love-N-Care Street Fair and the United Way Days of Action; and a fundraising volunteer for Evangelical Community Hospital and Susquehanna University.

“Patty is a person who is definitely not afraid to get involved where she sees a need,” Stanko said.

As part of the LSV Program, class members are divided into groups and must complete a community project to be presented on graduation night.

The Land Use and Agriculture Group turned a domestic violence shelter backyard into a “Secret Garden,” where victims can learn about nutrition and have a place to escape.

The Economic Development Group got involved with starting a YMCA in Union County, helping with the Founder’s Campaign by creating a booklet to develop community awareness and to secure funding for the project.

The Environment and Quality of Life Group started a recycling campaign, setting up a booth in the Susquehanna Valley Mall in order to create more awareness of the benefits of recycling.

The Youth Issues Group held a campaign to get more volunteers for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, which is in need of over 100 more “bigs.”

Leadership Susquehanna Valley is a nonprofit organization committed to providing leadership through training programs designed to identify, involve, educate, motivate and prepare a diverse group of area citizens for positions of effective community leadership.