The Leadership Snohomish County Program has a mission—to develop leaders for a lifetime. Geared toward anyone seeking to build and expand their leadership skills, Leadership Snohomish educates people of all ages for a bright future. The program connects three sectors—non-profits, businesses, and government—and demonstrates the skills needed to participate in these areas.
There are two primary classes available: the signature class and the young professional class. The signature class explores the foundation of leadership skills and serves as an introduction to the three main sectors represented in the program: business, government, and non-profits. Participants learn about different leadership styles, the connection between stewardship and leadership, and begin their intense study of areas like law and justice, healthcare, government and public policy, etc. The young professional program builds on these skills, and is for young people. The signature class is eight months, meeting once a month. Speakers, visits, and presentations are all key tools in the curriculum.
The organization has alumni that stay heavily involved. Each year, they are part of the process to choose real-world projects and events for the classes to work on—the proposals come from community agencies. The 2014-2015 classes saw projects like the Bra Shop Marketing Plan for Citrine Health, an illustration of PAWS’ history and their impact on the community, and a Music & Movies series for the City of Snohomish. These programs not only educate the participants, they work to strengthen the whole community.
Executive Director Kathy Coffey credits former director Sarri Gilman for how smoothly Leadership Snohomish works. In her words, “This program has nothing but potential for where we can go.” She is invested in seeing the program’s alumni continue in the community as leaders who are aware and connected. “When they’re done here, they get how to give back.” Graduates of the program have nothing but rave reviews about their experiences, and look at Leadership Snohomish as the place that empowered them. For more information, visit leadershipcs.org.
