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Youth leadership conference next week

Inaugural event named for Perry Thatcher, prominent businessman and humanitarian.

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By Andy Sedlak, Staff Writer 12:51 AM Friday, July 30, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Twenty-year-old Alex Boateng and 22-year-old Megan Finnell spent Wednesday afternoon, July 28, stuffing novelties into goodie bags.

“There’s cups, a note pad, pen, coupons to Pizza Hut,” Boateng said.

The goodie bags will eventually reach about 80 area young people who will attend the first Perry Thatcher Youth Leadership Conference on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at Middletown’s Manchester Inn.

The conference, hosted by the MALACHI Youth Opportunities Program Youth Advisory Board, will center on entrepreneurship, networking, building and maintaining relationships and leadership.

The teens can choose which sessions to attend and guest speakers will be featured.

“I think putting this together has been pretty big,” Boateng said. He was one of four on the Youth Advisory Board who organized the event in about three months.

“It’s event planning,” he said. “It’s helped me become more professional.”

Fellow board member Finnell agrees. In her case, she has a 2-year-old daughter and credits the organization with helping her become a more responsible mother.

“MALACHI helped me get through school,” she said. “At times, I didn’t want to go through it and MALACHI helped me finish up.”

MALACHI’s main office is in Middletown. The organization’s staff of 12 is spread over three counties. There are about 150 young people served at the Butler County MALACHI location, 30 at the Preble County branch and 60 in Clermont County.

About 15 local business — including Atrium Medical Center, Chase, and both of Middletown’s Kroger stores — contributed to the event. Waffle House will provide breakfast.

“We’re fortunate this conference has showcased their talents in planning and implementing an event of this scale,” said Sharon Bogan, MALACHI executive director. “It’s made other organizations think about the role young people play in our community.”

The event’s namesake, Perry Thatcher, was a local entrepreneur and inventor.

He is credited with inventing the “clamshell” box in which McDonald’s Big Mac hamburgers are served.