By Courtney Meznarich
As Leadership SLO Class XXV embarks on its year of learning and community immersion, 24 years of Leadership SLO grads are working feverishly on a new kind of Legacy Project, one they hope will foster future generations of leaders in SLO County.
The L25 Sterling Anniversary Fund campaign has already raised more than $120,000 toward its $250,000 goal, thanks in part to early commitments from PG&E, Glenn Burdette and Cal Poly. Now Leadership SLO alumni are seeking contributions and throwing a series of events throughout 2016 to help raise the rest.
“Ensuring the legacy of this program is not only great for future class members, but for our community as a whole,” said 2016 Leadership SLO Board Chair June McIvor. “I think anyone who’s gone through the program would agree.”
A recent community impact survey found that more than 75 percent of Leadership SLO alumni volunteer their time at local nonprofits, and more than 37 percent increased their charitable contributions since completing the program.
“I began 2014 as someone who simply lived and worked on the Central Coast,” said Kelly Donohue of Wilshire Community Services, and Leadership SLO class XXIII alum. “Yet, through the Leadership SLO program, I ended that same year as someone who felt part of a larger community. A community where it became feasible to mobilize and impact change. And equally as important, I was now part of a network of classmates and alumni, from all different backgrounds, that I now called neighbors, colleagues and friends. Hands down, Leadership SLO was one of the most valuable and thought provoking programs I’ve been a part of since my time here on the Central Coast.”
As the name suggests, Leadership SLO aims to be a training ground for current and future leaders by immersing class members in the various sectors of San Luis Obispo County and deepening their community connections.
“I was born and raised in this county but I met 35 complete strangers on our class retreat,” Donohue said. “Those strangers are now some of my closest friends, and I feel like I’ve become part of a network of Leadership SLO alumni all working toward the same goal: a better San Luis Obispo County.”
More than 800 Central Coast residents have graduated from Leadership SLO. The L25 Sterling Anniversary Fund will ensure affordable tuition and available scholarships for the next 25 years.
For more information about how you can get involved, visit LeadershipSLO.org or click here.
Courtney Meznarich is a Leadership SLO Class XXIII alum and serves on Leadership SLO’s Marketing and Alumni Outreach Committee.