Leading for Community Impact is a 10-month program that gathers selected “rising stars with great potential and seasoned social sector leaders” and guides them through a 10-month process to enhance and strengthen their leadership potential.

Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) has announced that Bree Valla, assistant superintendent/human resources, has been selected as a member of the 2019-20 cohort.

Over the next 10 months, Valla, and some 16 other selected individuals from Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Lompoc and surrounding areas, will work through a rigorous curriculum to further strengthen their leadership and management skills to benefit LUSD and the community at large.

“We are excited to be a part of such an innovative program that will allow one of our own LUSD employees to enhance her skills, while also bringing what she learns back to benefit our entire organization,” said Superintendent Trevor McDonald.

“It is a great experience to work with Bree on a daily basis,” said John Karbula, assistant superintendent/business services. “She is smart, motivated and dedicated to students and staff alike.

“LUSD is fortunate indeed to have such a fine leader and I am thrilled that she gets this opportunity to grow and add to her already impressive leadership skills,” he said.

“Bree is hungry to learn and is always working to make LUSD better for all, and we are excited for her,” said School Board member Jeff Carlovsky.

The program begins this week. For more information go to leading-from-within.org/leading-community-impact.

— Shirley Edwards for Lompoc Unified School District.