By Michael Wills | Point of View
There are plenty of local leadership programs from which people can choose. While all have merit, I don’t know of a more immersive program than Scottsdale Leadership.
Over the past 38 years Scottsdale Leadership has led the way in offering a program that changes and grows with the needs of the community, while providing the most robust curriculum available today. That is one of the biggest reasons that I encourage people to apply to our program. We are currently accepting applications for Class 39 until May 15th.
Previous class participants include elected officials, community leaders, academic leaders, teachers, accountants, nurses, executives, faith-based leaders, and others. Scottsdale Leadership is an organization for anyone who has a heart to become more engaged in our community.
I went through the program five years ago and since then I have seen Scottsdale Leadership update its class curriculum and, perhaps, the most exciting addition is an overnight retreat. This is like nothing else offered in Arizona! The incoming class is introduced to each other for the first time at a retreat where they spend two days getting to know each other.
The catch is, they can’t disclose their last name or what their occupation is! As a result, they interact free of preconceived notions of one another, and get to know each other on a much more personal level. At the end of the retreat, they wrap it up by trying to guess the profession of each class member. The revelations are fascinating and bring a new perspective to all.
Following the retreat is a curriculum of 16 class days spread over eight months, approximately every other Friday, in which the class learns about all things Scottsdale!
The classes cover public safety, city government, the arts, social services, economic and development issues, transportation, sustainability and so much more. All classes aim to educate while at the same time, lessons in leadership are incorporated into each class day.
In addition to the regular curriculum days, the class is broken up into smaller groups where they partner with a local nonprofit to help complete a community service project. ‘Project Lead it Forward’, as it is known, is one of the most rewarding components of the program and leaves a lasting impact on our community.
When I went through the program as part of Class 33, I could never have imagined the impact it would have on my life. Scottsdale Leadership has opened doors that I didn’t even know existed.
Since graduating I was fortunate enough to earn a seat on the City of Scottsdale’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission. I have stayed involved with the organization by serving on committees and the Board of Directors where I am currently serving as the 2023/2024 Board President. If you are looking for ways to become an engaged leader within our community, in any capacity, Scottsdale Leadership can and will provide the right path for you!
If interested in learning more, please join us for an Applicant Reception on April 25, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.. Details can be found HERE.
And visit ScottsdaleLeadership.org to learn more.
