Learn more about Napa’s first Emerging Leaders Cohort
Through the eyes of recent alumni
In October of 2015, 11 leaders representing diverse impact areas completed the Emerging Leaders Program in Napa County. The days were punctuated by self-reflection, group exercises, and break out sessions all designed to do one thing: empower local leaders and organizations, big and small. These individuals champion, protect and advance our community — and when they have a helping hand to take their leadership to the next level, we all thrive.
Congrats Grads!
- Sandra Oliva, MPH, Public Health Professional
- Matt Pope, Executive Director, South Napa Earthquake Recovery Group (SyNERGy)
- Melissa Patrino, Executive Director, Puertas Abiertas
- David Busby, Director, The Table
- Shea Hunter, Program Director, Napa Emergency Women’s Services
- Shirley King, Director, Community Action of Napa Valley Food Bank
- Wendi Piscia, Program Administrator, Napa Humane
- Liz Alessio, Community Benefit Coordinator, Queen of the Valley
- Melissa Habedank, MPH, Director of Strategy and Inovation, OLE Health
- Jim Tomlinson, Manager, Napa Office, CVNL
- Ellen Blustein, Executive Director, Jewish Community Center, Sonoma County
The instructors are truly experts in their field and the subject matter is relevant to all nonprofits. The program course has provided a solid foundation, along with many layers of knowledge to provide a greater assistance to my community. The collaboration among the fellow participants is indispensable, creating an rich environment for sharing, learning and meaningful associates. — David Busby, The Table
Through the Emerging Leaders Program I gained confidence in my abilities to lead. The ELP helped me prioritize my goals, both personally and professionally, which has ultimately encouraged me to take the next steps in advancing my career. An added benefit of the ELP was having the opportunity to work with my peers in small groups as it encouraged dialogue with one another and added to the fun factor in the training. —Wendi Piscia, Napa Humane
Why ELP?
ELP was developed in 2007 in response to research that showed that there was a potential, nation-wide leadership crisis in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit organizations depend on two resources to fulfill their missions: money and talent. Nonprofits need to not only invest more in recruiting strong and capable leaders, but work harder to retain the leaders they have, providing them with opportunities for career development and advancement. Numerous studies conducted since 2007 confirm that lack of training and professional development has created a vicious cycle: the pool of talented leadership in nonprofits thins, which puts more pressure on the top executives in place to get things done, eroding their confidence when (inevitably) they can’t execute their work.
ELP address both sides of the current leadership crisis. The program is effective in growing the skills and competencies of current leadership, and is also appropriate for nonprofit professionals who are preparing for or pursing a leadership career track. Curriculum seeks to nurture and develop the next generation of nonprofit executives, preparing new and aspiring leaders for the challenges of running a nonprofit organization. The program’s core curriculum is also an excellent fit for experienced corporate/government executives interested in making a change to the nonprofit sector. CVNL’s ultimate goal is to support a healthy, diverse pipeline of people prepared to take on increased leadership responsibility in the nonprofit sector.
Learn more or become a part of the next cohort: contact Katelyn, kwilloughby@cvnl.org.