News
Workforce Leaders in 2025
Jun 17, 2025
Leadership development not only strengthens organizations from within—it supports succession planning, enhances employee morale, and reduces recruitment costs. In a recent webinar hosted by MTC Business Solutions, three organizational leaders shared their real-world insights into building effective leadership programs, the challenges they faced, and the rewards they’re seeing.
Jeremy Catoe of MTC Business Solutions opened the conversation with key reasons leadership development should be a priority:
Talent Retention: Career advancement opportunities keep high-potential employees from seeking growth outside the organization.
Cost Savings: Promoting from within reduces recruitment and onboarding costs and accelerates integration.
Succession Planning: Leadership development prepares the next generation to step into roles as experienced employees retire.
“If you’re hiring leadership externally, there’s always a learning curve. Promoting from within not only saves money, it preserves culture and continuity.” – Jeremy Catoe
Mandy Williams | Director of Training & Development | SC Department of Health and Human Services
Amanda’s team built a leadership program by starting small and growing it gradually. Over time, they earned leadership support and refined the initiative based on outcomes and employee feedback. Developed with Midlands Technical College, the DHHS Leadership Academy launched in 2022 as a five-track program and now has over 300 participants in an agency of 1,600.
Early Insight:
Building organizational support takes time. Gaining executive buy-in was an early hurdle, but the team persisted through data-driven proposals and clear communication of benefits.
Advice:
Lead with research and outcomes to help secure support.
Be patient—momentum builds as results begin to show.
Once leadership is on board, meaningful transformation can follow.
“We track our retention rate—it’s actually a requirement for our Annual Accountability Report to the state legislature—and we’ve noticed our turnover numbers are going down. We definitely believe that having the Leadership Academy has been a positive contributing factor to those lower turnover rates.” – Amanda (Mandy) Williams
Tyra Burch | Leadership and Development Manager | Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union
At Palmetto Citizens, leadership development is a key strategic focus. Tyra recently redesigned their long-standing program to better support today’s workforce. In partnership with MTC Business Solutions, she developed a customized program that spans from executive leadership to front-line employees, creating a culture of engagement and continuous growth.
Key Consideration:
Balancing development initiatives with day-to-day responsibilities requires planning and flexibility, but it’s worth it.
Advice:
- Be ready for some tough conversations and growing pains.
- Stay the course. Improved morale and retention speak for themselves.
“It’s a big investment from yourself, a big investment from the employees at your organization – it’s going to be hard. You’re going to have to have tough conversations, but don’t give up. The reward is worth it.” – Tyra Burch
Anthony White | Training and Development Manager | The Ritedose Corporation
Anthony’s organization took advantage of grant funding to help launch their leadership program. Using available funding helped overcome financial barriers and earned management approval. His organization has enrolled over 20 employees in the MTC’s Supervisory Certificate Program, and they are committed to preparing future leaders for success.
Smart Strategy:
Using grant funding not only reduced financial barriers but also helped secure leadership support for the initiative.
Advice:
- Look into grants. Many are simple to apply for and can cover a significant portion of program costs.
- Don’t let budget concerns stop you from getting started.
“The grants aren’t a three-day writing ordeal; some take 10 minutes and are only one-page forms. It’s a smart way to get your leadership program off the ground.” – Anthony White
Key Takeaways
Start with buy-in from top leadership or work strategically to earn it over time.
Use grants to remove financial barriers and gain early momentum.
Align with strategy: programs that reflect organizational goals have the most impact.
Expect challenges, from cost concerns to cultural resistance, but don’t lose focus.
Lean on partners like Midlands Technical College for support in launching and sustaining your initiative.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing program, leadership development can transform your workforce from the inside out. As these panelists showed, the journey is not without its challenges, but the outcomes are worth it.