To our Leadership Pasadena community:

​Like so many of you, we’ve spent the past week grappling with devastating loss and trying to put one foot in front of the other. Many of our alumni, staff, board, & incoming cohort have either lost their homes or been displaced indefinitely. 

We are still assessing our next steps, but know this: we are not going anywhere. We are ready to work with our incoming cohort and each of our alumni and community partners to start rebuilding together.
As an organization that has worked with so many local leaders in Pasadena and Altadena over the years, we know that our communities are well equipped to support each other through the aftermath of this tragedy. LP will be here as a place of community growth, organizing, and empowerment every step of the way. 

Look out for more from us soon - and in the meantime, please read the letter below which was sent to our LP community this week.

If you’d like to support our rebuilding efforts, please consider donating to us here or a Go Fund Me created by our Board Treasurer, James Ku.

Sending each of you strength and comfort,
The LP Team 

Dear Alumni & Friends -

Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the devastating Eaton Fire. The destruction is heartbreaking; the impact on our community is profound.

While we face this tragedy together, it presents us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate true leadership.

Our goal will be to help our community rebuild while also continuing to train more effective, compassionate leaders who are needed now more than ever.

Building Community
Leadership Pasadena's core strength is building community. Our immediate focus during these challenging times will be to:

• Host an alumni reconnection event to check in with friends and colleagues (plans are underway)
• Continue to create opportunities for mutual support and solidarity
• Develop collaborative strategies to rebuild and strengthen our community

We'll be on the frontlines of connecting organizations and individuals, ensuring Pasadena emerges stronger and more resilient.

Creating More Effective Leaders
Our 2025 cohort was set to launch last week. We’ve made some adjustments to our program plans, which include:

• Beginning the class at the end of January with the first leadership retreat
• Engaging alumni to support this class in addressing key rebuilding efforts

The Class of 2025 will experience a level of leadership learning unlike any before.

Focused 2025 Community Impact Projects
We’ll need our alumni to engage with us to support our community impact projects which will concentrate on:

• Supporting vulnerable populations
• Assisting businesses in recovery
• Addressing housing challenges
• Environmental restoration
• Offering tactical support to the local agencies and nonprofits

Together, we'll navigate the recovery process and help rebuild our community.

Alumni Support
Many of our alumni need additional support.

• Please take a moment to let us know if you or an alumni friend have sustained damage to a home, office, or business.

Your well-being is important to us, and we want to ensure that we can provide assistance where needed.

Local Funding
The leadership we provide is valuable. Support our efforts. All donations are local… and will be used effectively to rebuild the greater Pasadena area for our families, friends and colleagues. Donate now.

Leadership Pasadena is uniquely prepared for the challenges ahead. Stay strong, and remember that we're in this together!

With gratitude -
NC & Karen

--
Nancy Carol "NC" Inguanzo
Executive Director

Karen Burgess
Operations Director

Attendees discovered Pasadena’s unique military heritage on Thursday, November 14 in the beautiful Chen 100 Lecture Hall at Caltech. The event was an open and free community session. Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin welcomed the community and offered his own experience of being mentored by veterans.

Pasadenans have a proud legacy of defending our country and supporting our community during trying times. Led by Pasadena City College professor, Dr. Harold ‘Doc’ Martin and featuring a panel of veterans including Mitch Dorger, Alex Johnson, Jennifer Burghdorf (‘21) and Eriqlee Adame (‘24), attendees learned more about our local history and gained valuable insights from veterans’ leadership journeys and perspectives.

Created in collaboration with Caltech, Pasadena City College, and the Pasadena Museum of History, this was a one-of-a-kind event.

See the article about our event in Pasadena Now: Pasadena Academic Institutions Unite to Honor Veterans’ Legacy of Scientific Contributions.

The YWCA of Glendale and Pasadena held its Annual Women for Racial Justice Breakfast on October 23. Leadership Pasadena alumna Angela Scott Lee (‘24), Executive Director of Harambee Ministries, delivered an inspiring keynote address focused on racial equity and women's empowerment. The breakfast honored four remarkable women for their contributions to positive change.

Among the honorees was Christy Zamani (‘09), the Executive Director of Day One, who was recognized for her impactful work in youth development and community organizing. This annual event brought together community leaders, professionals, and elected officials from across Los Angeles County, celebrating those promoting equity and inclusion.

​Congratulations, Christy and Angela!

Discover Pasadena’s unique military heritage on Thursday, November 14 in the beautiful Chen 100 Lecture Hall at Caltech.

Pasadenans have a proud legacy of defending our country and supporting our community during trying times. Led by Pasadena City College professor, Dr. Harold ‘Doc’ Martin and featuring a panel of veterans including Mitch Dorger, Alex Johnson, Jennifer Burghdorf (‘21) and Eriqlee Adame (‘24), this is an opportunity to learn more about our local history and veterans’ leadership journeys. A reception to connect with alumni, civic leaders, and the greater community will conclude the evening.

This one-of-a-kind event was created in collaboration with Caltech, Pasadena City College, and the Pasadena Museum of History. RSVPs are not required but kindly requested. Limited seating. See more details here.

At last weekend’s Friends In Deed Stories from the Street movie night at Farnsworth Park, Ervin Galvin (‘19) was recognized for his dedication to their mission. From the first moment Ervin, owner of We Olive & Wine Bar, served food to locally unhoused patrons, he knew he was “hooked.” Now he’s a FID board member. Not only has Ervin directly supporting FID initiatives, but we are so thankful for his sponsorship which has enabled Friends In Deed staff to participate in Leadership Pasadena.

Congrats, Ervin! Your service to both Friends in Deed and LP is inspiring.

P.S. Merria Velasco (‘22), FID Development Director, picks the movies… and she knows her stuff. If you haven’t watched The Public by Emilio Estevez, you should.

Victoria Williams (‘20) shows us what it looks like to give back to the community. Her initiative, the Black Education Expo (BEE) is back for a second year, bigger and even better!

This is a vibrant, semi-annual event series designed to empower K-12 (ages 5-18) students and their families. The event serves as a one-stop hub for educational resources, informative workshops, and a celebration of historically marginalized communities. With an emphasis on culturally relevant resources, the BEE prides itself in its community-driven impact and centering of communities of color. The BEE features 50+ exhibitors, a dynamic teen zone, and informative parent workshops. Attendance is free with registration. BEE Sponsorship opportunities are critical to the event’s success and are still available. All are welcome.

Come learn more and support a fellow alum’s vision of building community on Oct 12!

Together with the Pasadena Junior League, LP held a special mixer with alum, author, and radio show host Kat O’Sullivan (‘02). Kat briefly discussed her personal journey and offered words of wisdom on living your best life while signing her new book, From Doubt to Do. It was yet another lovely evening on the Der Wolf patio!

​What a joy it is to watch athletes from around the world compete in the Olympics! Just a few seconds can change their lives and give spectators a moment to bask in their glory. But the truth is, we all know that those golden moments are due to countless hours of preparation and practice. And while so many of us are watching the events of Paris, many at home are behind the scenes spending countless hours preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Games… including some from Leadership Pasadena.

This LP community impact team tasked with helping Pasadena prepare for the 2028 Summer Games met with Assistant City Manager Brenda Harvey-Williams (LP ‘14) and City Manager Miguel Marquez to discuss their findings and recommendations. The goal is to create long-term benefits for our community by supporting small businesses in the lead up to the next summer games taking place on our doorstep. This will require a tremendous amount of preparation over the next four years.

And that’s what Leadership Pasadena is doing right now, too… preparing. Following graduation, we immediately begin planning for 2025 and are looking forward to a late summer board retreat.

Leadership Pasadena proudly held the graduation of its latest cohort and announced the appointment of business litigation attorney Louis Teran as the new Board President.

The festive graduation ceremony, held on June 27, was attended by alumni, family, and friends who gathered at the historic Maxwell House to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates. Guests included Pasadena City Manager Miguel Marquez, Assistant City Manager and LP alum Brenda-Harvey Williams, City of Pasadena Human Resources Director Tiffany Jacobs-Quinn, Deputy to Mayor Gordo Vannia de la Cuba, Pasadena Public Health Deputy Director and LP alum Manuel Carmona, Police Chief Eugene Harris, and Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin, as well as members of their prospective teams.

Program Director Nancy Carol Inguanzo kicked off the ceremony with a special thank you to supporters including the City of Pasadena, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Flintridge Center, Pasadena Community Foundation, Pasadena Unified School District, Pasadena Educational Foundation, Pasadena Federal Credit Union, Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, Tournament of Roses, the Veterans Resource Center of Pasadena City College, the Dr. Gordon K. Squires and Kendra Nitta “Dragonfly” Fund, the Harris-Bacor Foundation, and the WHH Foundation. The graduating class then presented its community impact projects focused on affordable housing, sustainability, economic development, diversity and inclusion, and public health and safety.

Keynote speaker Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo emphasized the importance of leadership, highlighting how Pasadena acts as a role model to those around the world who hope to enact collaborative democratic systems as was demonstrated by his recent trip to Armenia. He drew a laugh referencing the "Pasadena is the Center of the Universe" themed PSAs the graduating class created at Pasadena Media.

Class Speaker Angela Lee, Executive Director of Harambee Ministries, gave the commencement address via video. ”For true leadership to exist, it must have various expressions. Our class demonstrated this diversity in leadership… from city leadership to the nonprofit sector, military veterans to the private sector and beyond. Our group has shown that there is no cookie cutter version of leadership,” she stated. “These last 6 months have been our training ground. We've prepared, stretched and learned. And today we begin a steady march towards using our leadership gifts to create a more just and flourishing Pasadena.”

The occasion also served as an opportunity to express heartfelt appreciation to outgoing board members, including Amara Ononiwu of Novus Global, Vicki Chui of Caltech, and Brandon Lamar of Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. All were commended for their support of Leadership Pasadena’s mission to create a stronger community by connecting more effective leaders.

The festive event was filled with laughter, a testament to the joy of community service.

Recent Caltech Y Board Chair and former Leadership Pasadena Executive Director Cindy Bengston commented, “What a marvelous LP graduation. Kudos to all of the graduates! It was exciting, warm, and ‘the place to be!’”