Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. has announced the second cohort of 21 participants for their Lead Now Pittsburgh (LnP) fellowship program set to begin in January 2019. Chosen from nearly eighty nominees recommended by other regional leaders, including the inaugural cohort of fellows, those selected represent a diverse array of community innovators and demonstrate exemplary personal and organizational leadership qualities.
LnP provides the selected fellows with a year of immersive training covering important leadership skills, collaboration, coaching and new organizational approaches so that they can emerge as powerful catalysts for social change. A year of research by Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc. resulted in the design and launch of LnP in early 2018. The program includes multi-day leadership retreats that alternate between Pittsburgh and partner Rockwood Leadership Institute’s Oakland, CA training site, and engages the group of civic sector professionals in a series of Transformational Leadership sessions.
The 2019 cohort of 21 LnP fellows and their affiliated organizations are:
- Julius Boatwright, Steel Smiling
- Dave Breingan, Lawrenceville United
- Carlos Carter, Homeless Children’s Education Fund
- Jeffrey Dorsey, Union Project
- James Doyle, Higher Achievement Pittsburgh
- Tracy Edmunds, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
- Ashley Funk, Mountain Watershed Association
- Leonard J. Hammonds II, Hammonds Initiative
- Virginia Hill, Pittsburgh Public Schools
- Anna Hollis, Amachi Pittsburgh
- Darrell Kinsel, BOOM Concepts
- Sallyann Kluz, Office of Public Art – Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
- Walter Lewis, Homewood Children’s Village
- Marimba Milliones, Hill Community Development Corporation
- Wasi Mohamed, Islamic Center of Pittsburgh
- Monica Ruiz, Casa San Jose
- Evaine Sing, Grounded Strategies
- Ciora Thomas, SisTers PGH
- Joey-Linn Ulrich, Venture Outdoors
- Diamonte Walker, Urban Redevelopment Authority
Beginning in January 2019, the 21 2019 Fellows will begin a program that focuses on deep personal growth with an aim of creating the foundation for building trusted alliances. The inaugural cohort of 22 fellows from across southwestern Pennsylvania recently completed their yearlong fellowship, feedback from participants in the first LnP cohort shows that the program is affecting Pittsburgh’s leaders in positive ways. Heather Sage, Director of Community projects at Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy said, “I feel a renewed sense of purpose and a clearer vision of how I’d like to lead within my organization.” Center for Coalfield Justice’s Executive Director Veronica Coptis found the LnP fellowship invigorating, saying “I get energy from being around people who are caring and doing similar social justice work…the engagement with others is refueling for me.”
“By further cultivating high potential nonprofit leaders who represent the diversity of the southwestern Pennsylvania region, Leadership Pittsburgh wants to contribute to the strengthening of this sector during these unprecedented time of change in our region’s recent history,” said Aradhna Oliphant, President and CEO with Leadership Pittsburgh. “We are gratified by the extremely positive evaluations of the inaugural offering and learned a lot through the year. We are delighted to continue our partnership with the nationally renowned Rockwood Leadership Institute to present this second iteration with an even more refined design.”
The Lead Now Pittsburgh concept was originally devised in Pittsburgh after The Heinz Endowments and other area foundations identified the critical role of nonprofit sector leadership in Pittsburgh’s continued successful revitalization. The Endowments invited Leadership Pittsburgh to conduct research and design a program that would fill the gap in advanced development opportunities for a new generation of established and emerging nonprofit leaders.
The Lead Now Pittsburgh program was designed in partnership with nationally renowned Rockwood Leadership Institute, whose CEO Darlene Nipper expressed “We’re excited to continue our partnership with Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. and support these remarkable leaders as they create meaningful change within their community.”
Funding for the initiative was provided with a $500,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments. “Our nonprofit leaders carry immense responsibility for the health and success of Pittsburgh and the region, yet they are often challenged in advancing their work due to limited resources, guidance and recognition,” said Janet Sarbaugh, the Endowments’ Vice President for Creativity. “The Endowments is honored to support this investment in the future of our region.”
