Applications open for inaugural Rocco Fellows cohort
Local nonprofit leaders are invited to apply for a Rocco Fellowship, a new professional development program offered by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham.
Applications are open through July 1 for the inaugural cohort. The program offers a group coaching experience over nine months for as many as 14 local nonprofit leaders, as well as publicity for their ongoing work and funding needs.
The Rocco Fellowship is open to individuals:
- demonstrating commitment to service and growth within the nonprofit sector;
- serving in a volunteer, part-time, or full-time capacity with a 501(c)(3) located in and serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County; and
- with strong potential of creating or continuing to make significant impact in their field of choice.
The fellowship is tailored for local leaders seeking to transform challenges into opportunities for professional development and strategic advantage. Candidates should be interested in building their leadership skills, learning more about problem-based collaboration, and reflecting in meaningful and authentic ways on their work.
George Neighbors, principal with X-Roads Consulting, will coach the inaugural cohort of Rocco Fellows.
The cohort will meet monthly from September through May for two-hour sessions at TCFHR’s office in Harrisonburg.
Apply to become a Rocco Fellow.
“Our local nonprofit professionals are often working in challenging contexts, carrying heavy personal and professional loads as they offer important services that benefit our community,” said Lauren Jefferson, director of programs and marketing. “Coaching circles provide a way to both give and get support in a confidential format that fosters innovation, experimentation, and resilience. We’re really excited to invest in this dynamic learning opportunity for our nonprofit colleagues and see what long-term benefits emerge.”
The first cohort of Rocco Fellows will be coached by George Neighbors of X‑Roads Advisory, a Valley-based small business with a mission to empower leaders and teams to navigate change, grow with purpose, and build resilience.
Neighbors brings a proven framework for collective growth to this new initiative, drawing upon decades of experience with diverse organizations, including the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, National Institutes of Health, USO, James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community College, and the City of Harrisonburg. He also brings experience working with leaders in national and global contexts.
“The environment I aim to create provides a safe space for peer dialogue and exploration where leaders share challenges, uncover blind spots, and co-create solutions,” Neighbors says. “In a world of rapid change, the power of shared wisdom is powerful, all the more so as it’s generated right here in our community when we come together.”
Unlike traditional one-on-one coaching, this group model leverages the collective lived experience, expertise, and abilities of the cohort. Participants determine the focus of each session, ensuring that the experience remains agile and responsive to real-time needs.
By fostering an environment where leaders can vulnerably share experiences and collaboratively problem-solve, TCFHR aims to build resilient leadership pipelines capable of driving sustainable change across our nonprofit community.
The fellowship is supported by the Rocco Legacy Endowment, which has also launched a new capacity-building grant, opening in the 2026 grant cycle on July 1, and a monthly networking event, Coffee and Conversations.
Longtime residents will remember Rocco Enterprises, a locally owned, fully-integrated poultry company run by the Strickler family from 1939 to 2001. Philanthropy, service, stewardship, and investment in both employees and the community were foundational pillars of Rocco’s corporate culture. Its innovative business strategies included awareness of the inherent power of mutual interdependence among its partners, and the promotion of creativity and intrapreneurship.
“As we carry forward the Strickler family’s legacy of stewardship, service, and community involvement and investment, we are deeply committed to equipping nonprofit leaders with the tools, networks, and resources they need to thrive in an ever-changing landscape,” said TCFHR Executive Director Revlan Hill. “The endowment honor Rocco’s history and traditions by strengthening the organizations that make our community stronger, more compassionate, and more vibrant for generations to come.”
