Q&A, Jonathan Marker and CVNL’s Emerging Leaders Program

Jonathan Marker, CEO of Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) in Marin, took a break from his busy schedule to sit down with CVNL and talk about his experience in the Emerging Leaders Program. Read more about his journey below.

Interview by

Katelyn Willoughby-Bagley
CVNL, Leadership Programs Manager

What was your motivation for enrolling in ELP?

I sought out ELP to develop my own skills as I prepared for my next role and to build community. As I was new to Marin (two and a half years) I wanted to find a group of leaders who could support me as I made Marin my home.

What, specifically, did you learn while you were in the program?

ELP taught me a number of skills from insurance opportunities and liabilities to differences between non-profit and for-profit finance. Most importantly though, ELP showed me a network of leaders in my community who I could rely on and build with as we all work in our own way to improve our community.

Do you feel like a more capable leader as a result?

Yes. I feel that I have additional skills and confidence due to the support networks I have learned to leverage and rely on.

What are you doing now, post-ELP?

I have the immense privilege to serve as the CEO of Youth Leadership Institute which was founded in Marin in 1991 and has worked with more than 80,000 youth across more than 200 communities in our 24 years to date. I continue to build deeper relationships across Marin facilitated by the connections initiated at ELP and I look forward to a long career engaged in our community.