Join us for an informal conversation with Seattle's new mayor, Jenny Durkan. Learn about Jenny's unique leadership journey, her key priorities as mayor, and the challenges she's faced to become the first woman to lead the City in nearly a century. Register here.

Are you interested in serving on a nonprofit board of directors? Would you like to meet representatives from 38 local nonprofits that are doing amazing work in our communities? Join us for our third annual Board Networking Happy Hour. You'll enjoy delicious appetizers and drinks while meeting nonprofits that are recruiting leaders for their boards of directors and potentially make a match. Learn more and register here . Use code LTROCKS for $10 off (valid until 10/12/18).

Hearing Martha Choe, LT'84 talk about her friendship with Bob Watt, LT'84. They met in LT and remained friends for so many years, working on projects and initiatives together and supporting one another through many different points in their lives. It was something that stands out so clearly for me because LT was the place where I made some of my closest friends to this day. We have now sat on panels together, gone on trips together, seen each other through difficult times, celebrated our wins, and dream of what it might look like to work together one day. We are truly living our lives together. It was an unexpected and invaluable gift of being in this program. 

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

The healthy community framework influences the work I do at the Seattle Art Museum every single day! I'm constantly thinking about how I can build authentic, long-lasting relationships across sectors that allow SAM to be a resource, not just in arts and culture, but also in basic needs, health and wellness, the environment, etc. I believe that by developing partnerships that can contribute to the strengthening of civic engagement, museums can stay relevant, be more inclusive, and create opportunities for more people to see themselves reflected there.

Be open to the experience and where it will take you. From the time I started LT, to one year out, I changed jobs twice, joined the Seattle Arts Commission, and made some big personal transformations. It gave me confidence to take more risks, leave an institution I'd been with for 16 years, and enter a career I was passionate about and driven towards. I began to see myself differently, saw the difference I could make, and honestly, envision myself as a leader, something I had feared acknowledging up until that point. The program was an investment in myself holistically, and I am truly better for it all around!  

 I wouldn't say there was "one highlight" for me as the entire program served to fundamentally change my perspective on the issues that challenge our community. Before LT, I did not appreciate that many--if not most--of such issues are deeply interconnected in ways that are not apparent from the way they are covered in the media. To effectively address issues, it is incumbent on all of us to understand those interconnections so that we are not stuck in an endless cycle of only treating the symptoms.  

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

I try to recognize the role that my own and others' implicit biases play in decision making and then take steps to mitigate the impact of such biases. For instance, when interviewing, I have found that my own biases have a disproportionate effect in a one-on-one setting. As a result, I try to structure interviews to either involve multiple interviewers or to have a pre-determined set of objective questions. 

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! The most valuable experiences in LT are those that challenge your concept of the world and yourself . . . and being challenged in that way is not always comfortable. 

Let us know what is happening in your life!  Email [email protected] and  stay in touch with the Leadership Tomorrow network.

1993: The Seattle Times published an opinion piece written by Bill Block, LT'93 about addressing homelessness in our region. "The solution to homelessness is housing and, where needed, services. As we struggle to meet that need, however, we must respect the constitutional rights and human dignity of those still waiting for their opportunity to be housed. That is what I would want for me and what I must seek for others."

1997: Heather Fitzpatrick has been selected to succeed Ruthann Howell, who is also LT'97, as CEO/President of Wellspring Family Services in Seattle, an organization that has served families in crisis in the Seattle area for 126 years. 

2000: Hon. Bonnie J. Glenn received the 2018 Justice Charles Z. Smith Excellence in Diversity APEX Award. Read the press release.

2003: Stephanie Lucash was selected to participate in the inaugural class for the upcoming Northwest Women's Leadership Academy.

2007 and 2011: Chinua Lambie, LT'07 and Anthony Shoecraft, LT'11 were featured in the Seattle Times for their work with the organization they helped form,  MoHundred, in response to 10 black Seattle school students being offered scholarships, only to not receive them. Read the article to learn how their organization is helping raise the scholarship money promised to these students.

2008: Shauna Causey has joined Madrona Venture Labs as Partner. Launched in 2014, Madrona Venture Labs takes ideas and turns them into startups by way of recruiting, product development, financial investment, and more.

2008: Felicia Kline was accepted into the 40th class of Leadership Charlotte.

2013: Katrina Jones has a new position at Boeing and is now Global Data Access Product Owner. 

2014: William Smith is now the Senior Human Resources Manager, Seattle Information Technology Division at City of Seattle.

2015: Candice Caldwell has accepted the role of Chair for the Junior League of Seattle's Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion. The prior Chair, Jeanette James, LT'10, completed her two years as Chair and now serves as Vice Chair.

2015: Liv Faris was promoted to Senior Manager, Content Strategy at Expedia, as well as joined the Board of Directors of National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and NFFTY Creative, the organization's production company that connects brands with emerging talent to produce original content.

2016: Leilani Lewis joined the boards of directors of the Northwest African American Museum and Seattle Arts and Lectures. 

2017: Philip Deng is now Foundation Relations Manager at Forterra. 

2017: Steve Hirjak was promoted to Assistant Chief of Special Operations and Homeland Security, Seattle Police Department at City of Seattle.

2017: Kirk Myers now the Director of Sustainability for Alaska Air.

2018: Tanya Dumas joined the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Healthy Generations.

2018: Patrick Lee was promoted to Senior Manager, Treasury at Vulcan, as well as joined the Finance Committee for Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience.

2019: Dawn Reyes was appointed to Washington's new Women's Commission. The commission was created to address issues relevant to the problems and needs of women, such as domestic violence, childcare and support, sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace, equal compensation and job pathways in employment, and the specific needs of women of color.