LT Link: April Newsletter

From the Director: Sue Bennett, LT'94

LT'19 Graduation and Alumni Reunion

New Format This Year!

It’s hard to imagine that another Leadership Tomorrow class year is almost over. This year’s class, like all classes, is comprised of dynamic, inspirational leaders from all three sectors who want to become even more impactful in influencing change in our region. We are excited to celebrate them at this year’s Graduation event and welcome them into the LT family.

Did you know that Leadership Tomorrow has been cultivating and inspiring leaders for 36 years and that we have over 2,200 alumni? We are a big family, and we envision that this year's graduation will serve as both a celebration of the class and a reunion for our alumni.

To this end, we have changed a few things: you can look forward to a new location, significantly reduced ticket prices, and more opportunities to connect and engage with each other. The short program will feature a recognition of the graduates, a class speaker, and a keynote address by Ijeoma Oluo, the local author of New York Times bestselling book, "So you want to talk about race?" This is an event you will not want to miss!

Building community is at the heart of Leadership Tomorrow’s work. Celebrating together is an important part of building community. We hope to see you on June 18! More details can be found on our website.

With appreciation,

Sue Bennett, LT'94

Executive Director

Alumni Spotlight: Eleanor Bradley, LT'15

Pacific Science Center

What is one highlight from your LT experience?

The people I met! I loved getting to know my classmates and learning about their different work and life experiences. In a world that seems increasingly divisive, it’s wonderful to know that there are so many people who are committed to making a difference in the community. And it’s a great network – I run into LT classmates and alums through work events, in my volunteer life, and around town.

How has LT influenced your community involvement?

I find myself much more willing to raise my hand and get involved when I see something that I think should be changed. I also found my current board position with Wellspring Family Services through a LT Board Matching event. Two members of my LT class, Mark Ruffo and Colleen Cosgrove, serve on the board, and another classmate, Asa Tate is their new Chief Development Officer. The President and CEO of the organization, Heather Fitzpatrick, is also an LT alum!

What is one thing you think about or do differently because of LT?

I’m more thoughtful about considering other perspectives in all aspects of my life. I try to remember that I see things through a lens shaped by my experiences, but other people with different backgrounds and life experiences may see a situation completely differently. And I try to always keep the principles of servant leadership top of mind.

Volunteer Spotlight: Sara Levin, LT'04

United Way of King County

I have the honor this year of chairing the Leadership Tomorrow Curriculum Committee (CC) , a group of 33 smart, civic-minded individuals who care deeply about the community and LT. This committee is responsible for the annual curriculum, which includes two retreats, eight Challenge Days, and two leadership labs.

What a year so far! We had Snowpocalypse, which forced us to make quick decisions about our Mid-Year Retreat on Race and Racism and Basic Needs Day. I’m proud of how the staff and CC members came together to act quickly, and ensure we had the safety of class members and integrity of the curriculum in mind. Isn’t that what leadership is about?

We have a goal of deepening the curriculum’s content around racial equity, and as part of this, the committee is doing their own work. Over the summer, we held a retreat with LueRachelle Brim-Atkins, LT'86 , focused on how to facilitate conversations about race and racism. At each of our monthly meetings, we focus on ways to incorporate discussions around addressing structural/institutional racism alongside the civic issue at hand. We know that racial equity work is a journey, and that LT isn’t alone in learning how to lead with a racial equity lens and address our own biases (individual and organizational). We live in challenging times, and I’m proud to be part of an organization that is working to do better and take a stand on race and racism.

As we wrap up the year, I want to give huge thanks to the Curriculum Committee for their countless hours of work. Thanks also to the staff team, for embodying servant leadership and enabling the Curriculum Committee to act. Finally, to the class, for joining the LT family and taking this leadership journey together with us, and for not shying away from Challenging the Process and Modeling the Way. We are on this leadership journey together!

Conversations with Leaders Series: Police and Community, Leading in Polarized Times

Featuring Seattle Police Chief, Carmen Bes t

Written by: Sola Plumacher, LT'18; Photo Credit: Rick Meade, LT'12

During the February Conversations with Leaders event, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best joined a group of Leadership Tomorrow alumni and guests to share her insights in leading in polarized times.

Chief Best approaches leadership in a thoughtful and authentic manner – she is honest and open to feedback from members of the police department and the community at large. She recognizes that relationships matter and that consistent and open communication is critical to ongoing growth and development, both for the Chief as a community leader and for the community itself.

Chief Best has been with the Seattle Police Department for 26 years, and in that time, she has seen a great deal of change in how policing is carried out throughout the City. She highlighted a few of the current challenges facing our community:

The landscape of our City has changed, requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. Police often must act as law enforcers, social workers, mediators, etc. making their jobs incredibly complex.
Theories are changing nationally regarding criminal justice. The implications require a great deal of change, which Seattle was ready for in many ways because of the 2014 findings in the Consent Decree.
Approaches to policing and reform are informed by research, which is telling us more about brain development and appropriate policing tools to respond.

As a woman of color, Chief Best acknowledges that addressing race in leadership and in policing strategies requires constant review of practice. Chief Best demonstrated that she is humbly leading the Seattle Police Department toward improved policing strategies, improved community safety, and better community relations.

Special thanks to the support of our event sponsor Comcast for making this event possible.

Connect with LT on Social Media

Stay in touch with LT and the broader LT community by following us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Follow us on social media to read updates about alumni and class members, learn about LT and community events, and much more!

We also have two private groups (one on Facebook and one on LinkedIn) just for LT alumni, where you can engage with other LT alumni to share resources, promote events, etc.

Facebook and LinkedIn Groups:

LT Alumni Facebook Group: This is a forum for LT alumni to connect with each other, engage in conversations, and share resources, success stories, articles, etc. It is a closed group for LT alumni and the current class. Request to join the group here.

LT Alumni LinkedIn Group: Similar to the Facebook group, this is a private group for LT alumni to connect with each other, and share resources, articles, job openings, etc. Request to join the group here.

Update Your LinkedIn Profile - Let's find each other!

To make it easier to connect with other alumni on LinkedIn, update your profile to include your LT experience using these instructions .

Upcoming Events

Challenge Night: Addressing Homelessness

May 21, 2019, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Leadership Tomorrow Office

Join us for our upcoming Challenge Night, where you’ll hear a brief overview of the scope of homelessness in our community, learn about the main interventions being used to address it, and better understand how racism, transgender discrimination, and implicit bias shape how people become homeless and their experiences with social services/interventions. Tickets start at $20.

LT'19 Graduation & Alumni Reunion

June 18, 2019, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Bell Harbor Conference Center

Celebrate the graduating class and welcome them to the LT family at LT's reimagined LT'19 Graduation and Alumni Reunion. New this year, we are revamping our traditional graduation event to also include an alumni reunion. With more affordable ticket prices, an amazing speaker, and activities to help you connect with your classmates and the LT community, this is the LT event you don’t want to miss. Tickets start at $45.

Grapevine

We are so proud of our alumni! Read the updates below to see how LT alumni are driving change, growing in their careers, and much more. If you have an update you would like to share with the LT network, email Megan Rudolph at [email protected] .

Chinua Lambie, LT'07, Earl Parker, LT'14, and Anthony Shoecraft, LT'11, helped raise $100,000 in scholarships for 10 Seattle students. Read the full story here.

Vu Le, LT'12, Patricia Lopez, LT'04, and Julie Pham, LT'16 were featured Catalysts at the Evergrey's event: Seattle Catalysts: Celebrating Transformative Change in Seattle.

1993: Eric Pettigrew was elected as the Majority Caucus Chair for the House of Democrats (WA State).

1993: Laurie Tish, partner at Moss Adams LLP, was recently elected to the position of vice chair of the board of directors of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). She will become the chair later this year. Laurie is past chair, and previously served 4 terms on the Washington State Board of Accountancy, appointed first by Governor Locke, and then re-appointed by Governor Gregoire.

1995: Tyler Running Deer was selected as eCityGov Alliance's new Executive Director.

2001: Jerry DeMuro is now the Assistant Director of Capital Improvement for the City of El Paso, Texas. The City is undergoing tremendous transformation, following voter support of taxes to improve the quality of life in the City and establish El Paso as a “Destination City.” He is responsible for overseeing a city-wide roadway improvements program, development of bus rapid transit infrastructure, improvements to libraries and parks, and design and construction of museums, cultural facilities, a multi-purpose, 15,000 seat arena, water parks, and aquatic and soccer/baseball recreational complexes.

2003: Lola Peters wrote an Op-Ed for Crosscut , "A new generation will redefine the American Dream." Read the article here .

2005: Vaughnetta Barton has accepted a new position as External Affairs Program Officer at Rasmuson Foundation.

2007: Jon Scholes was featured in a Seattle Times article about the current state of Downtown Seattle. Read the article here.

2010: Shomari Jones was honored for the racial equity work he's doing at Bellevue School District. Read more here.

2012: Tracy Hilliard has accepted a new position as Senior Consultant at Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI).

2012: Todd Burley has accepted a new position as Sustainability Advisor for Seattle Parks and Recreation.

2013: Noah Purcell is is exploring a run for Washington State Attorney General.

2015: Kelly Lennox was promoted to Senior Manager - Legal at Redfin.

2015: Viyada Supavatanangura has joined BECU as Director, Liquidity and Investments.

2015: Asa Tate has joined Wellspring Family Services as Chief Development Officer.

2016: Carri Campbell was promoted to Chief of Public Affairs at Seattle Public Schools.

2016: Michelle Chen has accepted a new position as Legal Counsel for Mayor Jenny A. Durkan.

2016: Erin Hobson was promoted to Vice President, Director of Business Development at Sellen Construction.

2016: Boundless, the technology company co-founded by Xiao Wang, LT'16, designed to help provide immigrants with the tools, information, and personalized support to navigate their immigration journey with confidence, has been nominated for Geekwire's Startup of the Year award. Read more here.

2017: Chris Baird has joined Corvid Law PLLC as a Founding Member.

2017: Milkana Brace has been nominated for Geekwire's Start-up CEO of the Year award. Read more here.

2017: David Chen is running for Shoreline City Council.

2017: Tanya Dumas has accepted a new position as Program Officer at Rasmuson Foundation.

2017: Heather Lewis was invited to join the WGU Washington Board. The advisory board helps guide the growth and development of Washington’s only legislatively-endorsed online university. Learn more here .

2017: Tramale Turner has accepted a new position as Engineering Manager at Stripe.

2017: Jesse Uman was promoted to Head of Industry, Financial Services at ConsumersAdvocate.org.

2017: Svea Stromme has started a new position as Senior Program Manager at Arcora Foundation.

2018: Terry Rice is running for Seattle City Council.

2018: Rob Saka was recently appointed by Executive Dow Constantine to the Charter Review Commission . The commission is tasked with reviewing the existing charter, holding a series of public meetings to seek input from the community, and recommending changes to the charter that may ultimately go before voters.

2019: Kayla DeMonte was promoted to Managing Director at Citizen University.

2019: Kathleen Richardson is now Executive Director at Pike Market Child Care and Preschool.

2019: Girmay Zahilay is running for King County Council.