Three team members from Easton Utilities graduated from the Shore Leadership program. Aaron Goller, Senior Engineer and Paula Taylor, Director of the Customer Experience completed the 2025 program, and Doug Abbott, Director of Engineering and Water / Wastewater finished Shore Leadership 2.0.
Easton Utilities has been a strong supporter of Shore Leadership since its early years by sponsoring sessions and sending numerous employees through the annual program. Taylor tells us the impact it has had on her, stating “graduating from Shore Leadership has been inspiring. I was able to strengthen my understanding of our local region and meet with amazing leaders. I’m grateful for the support from Easton Utilities and will put what I learned into action.”
The Shore Leadership program consists of nine development sessions in Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Worcester, and Wicomico counties. During each, participants are introduced to community leaders from specific Eastern Shore industries including manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, education, and workforce development. Goller adds, “I appreciate how Shore Leadership connects big-picture regional challenges with individuals and communities. It sharpened my communication skills and helped me build relationships that will make me a stronger engineer and leader.”
Both the original and 2.0 programs are facilitated by Joe Thomas, Ph.D. of the United States Naval Academy’s Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership and Celeste Raver, Ph.D., of the Senate Joint Office of Training and Development. The 2.0 series has five sessions, covering the psychology of leadership, developing cross-cultural competencies, empathy and taking care of yourself as a Leader. Upon completing the 2.0 program, Abbott remarked, “these sessions brought my understanding of being a leader to a new level. It helped me see how individual decisions impact the broader community, and it equipped me with new tools for solving challenges.”