Leadership Greater Valley - A Unique Community Program

2008 participants pause while on the Valley Heritage Driving Tour during the History session.

One of the great community programs that Valley United Way is involved in is the Leadership Greater Valley Program which is a joint effort with the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Council for Health & Human Services. Back in the mid '90's we recognized a need to create volunteer leadership opportunities and a diverse pool of new volunteers to meet the needs of the community.

Valley United Way wrote an initial grant in collaboration with the Council that created the original Leadership Program (called L.E.A.D. at the time). Very soon after, our first class was recruited and over the course of a couple of months given background training on leadership skills, nonprofit volunteer management, and the nonprofit community in the Valley. At the end of the training the graduates were placed in leadership positions including board positions with a variety of Council members.

The program took on a new name and look when Bill Purcell came to the Valley to head the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce. When we first met, he told me that one of his goals was to start a leadership program at the Chamber. I was thrilled to hear that, as we were seeking greater corporate involvement with the existing leadership program. A new and improved Leadership Greater Valley Program resulted from the collaboration. The Chamber has taken on the day-to-day coordination of the program which is still guided by a collaborative committee drawn from United Way, the Chamber and the Valley Council. It is a unique partnership, and the community is the real winner.


We have just announced that we are taking applications for the Class of 2009 with the program slated to begin on September 17. That first session is one of my favorites as it is "The History of the Valley" and we will be taking the 15 participants on the Valley Heritage Driving Tour where they learn the incredible history of the Valley and get to know each other as they meet for the first time.

In subsequent weeks, we have programs on leadership skills, ethics, diversity and inclusion, government, economic development, health and human services, and life an leisure. Participants get a thorough working knowledge of the community and the chance to meet and interact with some of the most prominent leaders in the Valley. It's an extraordinary opportunity to develop new skills and build a network of Valley leaders at the same time.

What makes this program so unique is that at the end of the program, we ask people to put their skills to use for the benefit of the community by taking on a volunteer leadership position. Pat Tarasovic, our Volunteer Center Director, works with the participants to find them a volunteer position with a Valley nonprofit or possibly a local government board, commission or committee. We currently have three graduates of the program on our Board of Directors at Valley United Way, and the background that they received through the program has been a great asset for our entire board.

You can find all the information about the program by clicking here.