427 York Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
(707) 644-5551
www.leadershipvallejo.org
CONTACT: Doug Webster
dwebster@csum.edu or 707-328-1887
FOR RELEASE: Mon. Sept. 10, 2007
LEADERSHIP VALLEJO LAUNCHES COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM
(Vallejo, CA – September 10, 2007)….Leadership Vallejo, a newly formed, curriculum-based program, created to help develop and train future leaders for all sectors of the local community, today introduced its first class of leadership trainees. The 22 individuals selected will spend the next year learning new skills in leadership, personal development and organization, and will also benefit from the extensive community networking opportunities afforded by the program.
For outgoing Board Chair Russ Barnes of Cooper Crane and Rigging of Vallejo, the completion of the class selection marks an important milestone in Leadership Vallejo’s development. “A bit over a year ago, we began the organizational work…. gaining non-profit status, recruiting a new Board of Directors, crafting by-laws, raising support from the business community, and organizing the many tasks involved in recruiting a first class and planning a program for 2007-08. I am happy to say that all of those challenging tasks are now complete and our first class of trainees will start the program this month.”
Incoming Chair Leah Dreger of Callahan DeSilva-Vallejo, explained that Leadership Vallejo was initially launched by the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce which provided seed funding and support to help the organization get up and running. The Chamber and the Times Herald newspaper have both taken lead sponsorship roles with additional support from Callahan DeSilva-Vallejo, Minuteman Press, Georgia House Graphics, Touro University, Lennar Mare Island LLC, Cooper Crane and Rigging and the Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce.
“Starting September 21st,” she said, “participants will meet once a month for day-long in-depth sessions focusing on major issues facing the Vallejo community. They’ll interact and network with a wide cross-section of current area leadership to gain a better understanding of the area’s diversity, and the hopes, challenges and aspirations of key community groups and organizations. Participants will also gain new skills in public speaking, creating agendas, running meetings, effective listening and how to identify key issues and develop consensus. In addition, participants will work together in sub-groups, each focused on a community project of their choice.”
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The membership of the first Leadership Vallejo class includes:
- Clark Blasdell, President and CEO of Northbay Family Homes
- Teresa Booth, Owner of Mare Island Marine Resources
- Derik Calhoun, General Manager of MV Transportation
- Christopher Dominguez, Public Safety Dispatcher, California Highway Patrol
- Maria Guevara, Para-Legal, GDPonti & Associates
- Suzanne Harrington-Cole, Community Volunteer, Retired
- Constance Howard, Community Promotion Coordinator, Vallejo Chamber of Commerce
- Basri Ismael, Foreman, Artistic Lighting
- Misty Ismael, Community Volunteer
- Ian Kaiser, Owner, Professional File Management
- John Kane, Adult Ed Vice Principal, Pittsburg Unified School District
- Linda Lee Kane, Executive Secretary, University of California
- Jeanne Kilkenny-Turk, Owner-Agent, Vallejo Insurance Associates
- Dennis Klimisch, Owner, Klimisch’s, Inc.
- Michelle Morgan, Program Site Coordinator, MIT Academy
- Sean Murphy, Senior Loan Consultant, Metrocities Mortgage
- Thomas Phillips, Operations Manager, Vallejo Garbage Service
- Martin Riehm, Manager, State Farm Insurance
- Marc Salvadori, Service Manager, Minuteman Press
- Sandra Stowes, Human Resources Manager, Sutter Solano
- Laura Voice, Office Manager, Lennar Mare Island
“We’re tremendously pleased at the number and quality of applications received for this first-year program,” Dreger said. “And we believe the class members chosen are a good reflection of the diversity of our community. We hope once they complete the course they’ll become some of our best promoters and advocates to stimulate applications in the years ahead. Most of all, we hope they will apply their new skills in helping guide the future growth and vitality of our community.” ##
Group Photo Caption L-R: Linda Kane, Clark Blasdell, John Kane, Jeanne Kilkenny-Turk, Derik Calhoun, Dennis Klimisch, Robert DaPrato, Michelle Morgan, Chris Dominguez, Sean Murphy, Suzanne Harrington-Cole, Martin Riehm, Constance Howard, Tom Phillips, Basri Ismael, Marc Salvadori, Misty Ismael, Sandra Stowes, Ian Kaiser, Linda Voice Not Pictured: Teresa Booth, Maria Guevera