Chapter 18 - The Mountain AcademyWith the Arthur Miller Foundation generating a consistent surplus from reclaimed commercial land trusts, our next major initiative broke ground in the summer of 2028: the Oakridge Vocational and Leadership Academy.
Located on a sprawling acreage just outside town—formerly part of Wade Cain’s private hunting estate—the academy was designed to provide free technical training, business management courses, and leadership education to young adults from across the mountain region.
I took on the role of chairperson of the academy’s board of directors, combining my military command experience with community-building principles to mentor students in crisis management, ethics, and civic responsibility.
On a warm July morning, I stood in front of the first graduating class of fifty students in the academy’s new open-air amphitheater.
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“Leadership isn't about holding power over people,” I told the assembled graduates, my voice carrying clearly across the mountain breeze. “True leadership is about standing between vulnerable people and those who would exploit them. It is the courage to protect your neighbors, honor your roots, and build systems that outlive your own fears.”
The applause that erupted from the students and their families echoed off the surrounding timber ridges—a powerful sound of hope for the future.
