For 32 years, Ventura County Leadership Academy has been doing some of the most important work in our region: breaking down the silos and echo chambers we often find ourselves in, bringing together people from the business, education, nonprofit, and public sectors, and having open conversations about the big issues impacting our region.
Building a stronger, more connected community has been our mission and purpose from the start. Today, I'm proud to share that we are stepping into a new chapter and a new name. VCLA is now Leadership Ventura County.
For over three decades, our signature program has shaped hundreds of leaders across every city and sector in our county, introducing them to subject-matter experts, decision-makers, and each other so
they can better understand and be more engaged community members of Ventura County. This program isn't going anywhere, but we've come to realize that "academy" only tells part of our story.
Ventura County is not short on challenges that require informed, engaged citizens at the table. Meeting those challenges takes more than elected officials and government leaders, it takes all of us who understand how our community works and feel a responsibility to show up for it.
And I've seen firsthand what happens when you get those people in the same room. Put a small business owner, a city planner, a hospital administrator, a nonprofit leader, and a farmer around the table, and you don't just get five perspectives on the same problem, you get collaborative solutions none of them would have landed on alone. Not any one industry or sector is going to solve what's in front of us; it's all of us, having conversations between people who wouldn't normally cross paths, working for the betterment of a county we all care about. That’s the kind of connection we need as a community, and those connections don’t happen by accident.
Our founder, Dr. Priscilla Partridge de Garcia, whose spirit still guides so much of what we do, knew we were stronger together, and our signature class will remain at the heart of everything we do. Over nine months and ten sessions, participants get an inside look at the people, places, and issues shaping our region. They explore cities and communities throughout the county, hear directly from local leaders and subject-matter experts, travel to Sacramento to meet with our state legislative delegation, and take part in volunteer and team-building experiences along the way. But one of the most important things they do is build relationships and connections that often continue long after the final graduation ceremony.
But we’re adding more to Leadership Ventura County, including three new distinct pathways into our community, so that more people can find their way to leadership.
Leadership Connect will keep our growing alumni family, and the broader community, engaged. Through a mentoring match program, volunteer opportunities, civic engagement initiatives, and networking opportunities, Leadership Connect ensures that the relationships built through Leadership Ventura County continue after graduation.
Leadership Elevate is built for the busy professional who is seeking growth without a nine-month commitment. Think of it as continuing education for leaders: standalone workshops on relevant leadership topics offering flexible opportunities to develop new skills and gain fresh perspective.
Leadership Explore is a condensed crash course of Ventura County itself, perfect for someone stepping into a new leadership role, a newcomer to our county, or a lifelong resident who's ready to finally plug in.
Leadership Ventura County has always been about connecting people to our community's toughest issues, to the leaders already doing the work, and to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community through public and private engagement. We are still the organization you know; we're just opening the door a little wider.
Whether that connection happens over nine months or in a single evening workshop, the goal is the same — bringing leaders together to build a more informed, connected community. We welcome you to join in the conversation.
Pattie Braga is the Executive Director of Leadership Ventura County.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County’s challenges won’t be solved in silos | Your Turn
