I don't think that the future of Lawrence County rests in the hands of any group - elected, appointed, assigned or otherwise.

I think the future of our community belongs to all the voices and bodies that reach out and help, often without ever being asked, always without being "caught," and usually, denying any recognition at all.

What makes this a great place to live is what we do for each other, whether it's helping with community clean-up, volunteering at church, or helping our food bank stay stocked in hard times.

This month we have an opportunity to begin a new conversation about our future.

On Thursday, August 26, everyone is invited to join us in the first community leadership conference, Designing Our Future. In the morning we will hear from speakers who have made great contributions in the re-invention of their communities, one from Detroit and the other

from Columbiana County.

Their message is one of possibility, where resources come from unexpected sources and help comes from all points on the community compass.

In the afternoon, we will engage each other in a positive discussion about the best of our community strengths and what our county might look like if we developed our strengths to serve us even more in shaping a future of choice.

I think we all know that our community will not look like it did yesterday. Our tomorrows will not be shaped by what has been our past. Instead, our future will be defined by our choices about change and opportunity.

Perhaps we will see new industry choose us for a plant location; if so, our new industrial parks in Ironton and South Point will serve us well.

Perhaps we will shape an entirely different future from strengths we can only identify in their early stages today.

Whatever that future, let's begin the conversations that lead us to choosing it, instead of following it.

Come be with us for a day of new knowledge and great conversations. The free conference is at the Campus & Community building at 1508 South Ninth Street across from the Ironton city pool. We begin at 8:45 a.m. and conclude at 4:15 p.m. Call (740) 533-4588 to make your reservation and to place your lunch order. Lunch is catered at $5.00 per person.

Lend your voice to our future. On August 26, give a few hours of your time to begin a community-building conversation.

Dr. Jim Crawford is director of Ohio University Southern's Center for Innovation and Leadership, which is a co-sponsor of the conference.