Community Leadership Program

We know that you desire to grow personally and professionally to positively impact your community. The opportunities, tools and resources to help you reach your full potential as a leader are not readily available.

The Community Leadership Program brings together individuals from across the community to collaborate, grow and make a difference.

Community Leadership Program Class of 2023

Below are the participants chosen for the first Community Leadership Program cohort. In the program, these 23 budding leaders will grow personally and professionally through monthly classes and meetings, and experiential learning.

Benito Abarca-Sanchez

North State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Makayla Berlier

Northern Valley Catholic Social Service

Jack Coots

Retired at Farm Data Systems, Inc.

Devin Fernandes

California State University, Chico

Gloria Halley

Butte County Office of Education

Keesha Hills

Oroville Southside Community Improvement Association

Ashley-Michelle Arnold

Migrant Clinicians Network

Jeff Boian

Morrison

Laura Cootsona

Goodwell Consulting

Simona Gallegos

Saint Vincent de Paul

Brixie Hansen-Judge

Habitat for Humanity of Butte County

Breauna Hodnett

The Good News

Maitreya Badami

California State University, Chico

Kimberly Brooke

First 5 Butte County

Chris Copeland

North Valley Community Foundation

Roxanne Giron

Northern Valley Catholic Social

Briana Harvey-Butterfield

Butte County Department of Employment & Social Services

Marcus Hopkins

Oroville City Unified School District

Sendi Barrett

Northern Valley Catholic Social Service

Jonathan "Joc" Clark

Collaboration Works Consulting & CSU, Chico

Angie Dilg

City of Chico

Anjie Goulding

Chico Area Recreation and Park District

Keesha Hills

Oroville Southside Community Improvement Association

Curtis Johnson

Butte County Development Services

About the program

NVCF has selected 24 individuals to participate in the Community Leadership Program through an application and interview process. The program runs from August 2022 to May 2023, meeting one day a month. Along with the monthly sessions, the program features an orientation, a two-day retreat, graduation and opportunities for engagement in other leadership development events.

Watch for an announcement on the next Community Leadership Program class. The program is open to all those who have passion and drive for a thriving community.

Program design

Nine monthly, daylong sessions center around three categories: community health, community life and community vitality. These sessions consist of in-depth discussions with a diverse group of community leaders across various sectors and participatory skill workshops connected to the discussions. Each session includes the opportunity to discuss timely issues with policy-makers, business executives and other organization heads. In addition, participants will be assigned a group project designed around the skills and practices explored in the program.

Personal and professional development

Personal and professional development is a major focus of the Community Leadership Program. Each monthly session includes skills and practices critical to leading change within your organization and community. These include: • Creative Problem Solving • Building Trust • Storytelling • Active Listening • Information Literacy • Critical Thinking • Self-Awareness • Negotiating • Persuasion • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Program outcomes

Leaders will develop tools and practices to become more self-aware, understanding the characteristics, strengths, skills and abilities they bring to their role.
Leaders will cultivate a deeper awareness of the community they serve.
Leaders will develop practices that strengthen deep collaboration with other peers and organizations.
Leaders will gain an understanding of emotional intelligence and learn skills to increase it.
Leaders will learn best practices for engaging in difficult conversations, including addressing issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Leaders will develop a stronger and wider network within the community.
Leaders will gain the skills they need to become active community influencers and work toward a thriving community.
Leaders will be ready to use their learned skills to cultivate a united and connected community.

Tuition and sponsorships

NVCF is dedicated to building a thriving community, so this Community Leadership Program is not designed to make any profit but instead to realize measurable civic returns instead. With this investment in our future leaders, we ask that participants of this program invest in themselves through the commitment this type of program requires. The total tuition fee is $2,500 over nine months. For those who might find this a barrier, sponsorships are available based on stated need.

Please do not let the cost deter you from applying. We will have many sponsorships and tuition assistance available. Selection will not be affected by the need for sponsorship.

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