Leadership and Community Development has long been a commitment of the Harlan County Cooperative Extension Service.  The need for new and emerging community leaders allowed for the partnership with Leadership Harlan County United.  The goal of Leadership Harlan County United is to train leaders from different classes, ethnicity and geography and to help them assume leadership roles in their communities.  The Harlan County Extension Service Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent works with Leadership Harlan County United as a facilitator and presenter during the seven session academy.  In 2017, eleven current and potential community leaders learned about leadership through presentations, demographics and hand-on resources.  Following each session, participants were surveyed, thus offering ideas for future sessions as well as describing what they had gained from the academy.  The outcome of the 2017 Leadership Harlan County United academy shows that individuals have taken a greater role in their communities.  The academy participants worked in groups to develop two community development projects in which they designed and implemented while working with other community groups.  Graduates stated that Leadership Harlan County United helped them learn more about leadership roles in Harlan County as well as working with others to make their communities a better place.