SALISBURY — The deadline to apply for the Chamber of Commerce’s 2021-22 Leadership Rowan class is Friday at 5 p.m.

Leadership Rowan is a nine-month experience that brings together leaders throughout the county. Members of the class attend an opening retreat where they participate in a SIMSOC exercise that focuses on the importance of diversity and inclusion. Then, class members commit one day each month to explore the community and discover what makes Rowan County distinctive, including government, education, business, human needs and the arts.

“As an out-of-towner that decided to make Rowan County home, I am grateful for Leadership Rowan making me feel like one of their own by connecting me with other local professionals and exposing me to the local resources,” Jim Amaral, water resources manager for the city of Salisbury, said in a news release.

There are more than 700 graduates of the program since it was started almost three decades ago. Only 30 people are selected each year to build a class representative of the community.

The class will begin in August and conclude in May. Applications for the program are available online at www.rowanchamber.com and can be submitted to info@rowanchamber.com or at the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce at 204 E. Innes St., Ste. 110. More information can be found by contacting Erica Church at 704-633-4221 or echurch@rowanchamber.com.