Graduates of Leading from Within’s Emerging Leaders program are able to extend the connections and training they receive well beyond the 10-month leadership development program, thanks to an active alumni council.
The council plans professional development and social events throughout the year to ensure Santa Barbara County’s social-sector leaders stay engaged, inspired and connected, thus benefiting the communities they serve.
With Emerging Leaders, Leading From Within selectively assembles a cohort of emerging social-sector leaders each year from Santa Barbara County organizations.
Leading From Within guides them through a rigorous, relevant and applied curriculum intended to make them more effective leaders and connected to others in the nonprofit world.
“The ability to get to know other professionals in the nonprofit sector has afforded me access to more resources, opportunities for greater collaboration, support through career transitions, and overall guidance and mentorship,” said Ken Gates, REACH director and chair of the Emerging Leaders Alumni Council.
He said the focus of the council is to continue to offer opportunities to expand and deepen connections forged during the Emerging Leaders program.
Over the past year, the council implemented six workshops for the 67 alumni, who were often invited with guests and co-workers.
One of the most well-attended discussions, held in conjunction with the Fund for Santa Barbara, was a panel called Activism Here and Now: A Conversation with Santa Barbara Change-Makers.
The event was open to the community in an effort to engage in the social, environmental and political challenges of our time. Panelists and moderators included Hazel Davalos, Monique Limon, Juli Mickelberry, Colette Schabram, Marcos Vargas, Sigrid Wright and Geoff Green.
A number of alumni showed up for the Strength Based Leadership talk by Dr. Relly Nadler where participants completed the Gallup Strength Based Leadership Assessment, which helps identify personal strengths and potential pitfalls associated with them.
Other workshops focused on the value of performance appraisals with Christa Roth and a finance workshop led by Michael Williams.
“We are so grateful to the Ann Jackson Family Foundation who makes these events possible,” said Gates, who will relinquish his role as chair of the alumni council in December. Special thanks also goes to the alumni who planned and implemented this past year of events:
Megan Birney (Unite to Lite), Ann Cowell (Vertical Change), Chelsea Duffy (Partners in Education), Ken Gates (the Reach Program), Molly Kemper (Scholarship Foundation of SB), Jefferson Litten (Third District Supervisor), Tim Molloy (SB Rescue Mission), Casey O’Toole (The O’Toole Group).
Also, Lucille Ramirez (Foundation for SBCC), Marian Riazi (UCSB Student Health), Teresa Segovia (Carpinteria Children’s Project), Tristin Sherman (CASA), Kelly Whitaker (SB Zoo), and Sarah Harris (Leading from Within).
Leading from Within invests in nonprofit and other social-sector leaders through various programs, including Emerging Leaders, which is funded by the Santa Barbara Foundation.
The program is accepting applications for the 2018 cohort and will host two information sessions, 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the University Club in Santa Barbara, and 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, in the Santa Barbara Foundation meeting room in Santa Maria.
Application deadline is Oct. 31. For more information, or to apply, visit http://leading-from-within.org/emerging-leaders/.
— Ann Pieramici for Leading from Within.