How Run4Rural Helped a Barnesville School Board Member Find His Path to Public Leadership 

Josh Schroeder has spent nearly two decades finding ways to give back to his community of Barnesville. From serving on the city’s planning and zoning committee and his church council to volunteering with professional organizations, he’s always valued being involved. 

But when Josh began considering a run for public office, he wasn’t sure which position would be the best fit for his interests and experience. 

In 2024, he participated in our Run4Rural public leadership training, which helped him identify his values and explore opportunities to serve in a new capacity. 

Within weeks of completing the program, Josh filed to run for the Barnesville School Board. Today, he’s serving his first four-year term. 

Finding the Right Place to Serve 

Before Run4Rural, Josh had considered both city council and school board, but the training encouraged him to think more intentionally about why he wanted to serve, what he valued, and where those values could be most useful. 

“I came into this program with a volunteer mentality, I knew I wanted to put myself out there and helping with things in my community,” said Josh. “But I hadn’t really considered specifically what I was trying to achieve, how I wanted to spend my time, or where I thought I would be useful. That’s where the training really helped me.” 

Through Run4Rural, Josh explored different opportunities for public leadership and spent time identifying the values that motivated him. His interest in supporting young people and public education ultimately pointed him toward the school board. 

“The training helped me identify my values,” he said. “Providing resources for children is very important to me, so public schools fall directly into my area of interest because they educate all kids.” 

From Training to the Campaign Trail 

Josh completed Run4Rural in May 2024, and within a couple of weeks, the filing period opened for local offices. 

Run4Rural helped him move from considering public leadership to feeling prepared to pursue it. 

“The training helped me a lot with considering why I was going to run and gave me some pointers on how to run,” said Josh. “Identifying your values was also really helpful, both in deciding what I wanted to do and in having something I can mentally refer back to when making decisions on the school board.” 

During his campaign, Josh knocked on doors, wrote letters to the editor, used social media, and looked for ways to connect with residents throughout the geographically large Barnesville School District. 

Learning to Listen and Lead 

Since joining the school board, Josh has continued to draw on lessons from Run4Rural, particularly the importance of listening. 

He’s learned that serving on a school board means balancing his own perspective with those of the people he represents. It also means understanding the board’s role in setting policy, responsibly managing public resources, and supporting the school district without becoming involved in its day-to-day operations. 

“Listening is a huge part of any leadership position,” said Josh. “That’s another valuable takeaway from Run4Rural. You’re representing constituents. I came onto the board with my own ideas, but I didn’t have an agenda.” 

For Josh, Run4Rural provided a chance to explore public leadership before deciding whether elected office was the right next step. 

“We need good public servants,” he said. “The program helped me understand where I could best plug in, represent people, represent my values, try to be a good leader and example for the community, listen to others, and do what’s right.” 

About Run4Rural 

Run4Rural is our free, nonpartisan public leadership training program for people interested in growing and strengthening their local communities through elected office and other forms of public leadership. Participants don’t need to have decided to run for office to take part. 

The program helps existing and emerging rural leaders explore their motivation and opportunities to serve while building practical skills around community engagement, storytelling and shared values, campaign messaging, fundraising, and local elections. 

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