Thursday, September 14th marked the first day of the Leadership Sanford Class of 2023 with an awesome group of professionals from throughout the community. The Chamber has offered this powerful leadership development program to aspiring local leaders since 1998, and it is likely that many of you reading this today have been part of the past cohorts.
As I spent the day getting to know the members of this year’s class, I was fascinated by the diverse backgrounds of these representatives of our community, and this led me to reflect on how this group was assembled. After more than two decades of success, Leadership Sanford is such a well-established community institution that the “sales pitch” each year is primarily via social media posts and reminders at SAGA meetings and events, yielding a great response from those that are already “plugged in” to SAGA and the Chamber.
However, since our goal is to attract a cohort each year that truly reflects the diversity of our entire community, I’m excited to use this platform today to share information about this amazing opportunity with a broader audience.
Leadership Sanford was conceived to provide a continuous, diverse supply of creative leaders to our community by developing their knowledge of the region and providing the participants with a call to action. We accomplish this in a number of important ways:
- By selecting highly qualified, potential, and emerging leaders who are most likely to give to the community through service.
- By providing the knowledge needed to create a deeper understanding of our community and the challenges facing it.
- By enhancing and sharpening leadership skills and then challenging the graduates to serve as volunteers on appointed and elected boards and offering their services in government and non-profit organizations.
The Leadership Sanford program is curated by intentionally tailoring each monthly session to focus an in-depth look at a one of the most critical aspects of the community, led by subject matter experts from the appropriate agencies as well as elected community leaders.
Whether you are an employer interested in further developing the leadership skills of key members of your team, a leader of a civic organization, or simply an individual interested in impacting your community in a positive way, Leadership Sanford would love to have your engagement and participation. While this year’s Leadership Sanford program has already launched, it is never too early to begin planning for next year. Reach out to me today, and we’ll discuss how best to make you a part of this exciting program! I invite you to be part of the continued success of Leadership Sanford and make a positive and lasting impact on your community.
Susan Gomez
Chamber of Commerce Director