 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!’”  Leadership Pasadena 2024 is in the final stretch! May was a busy month with lots of focused work on community impact projects, thoughtful conversation around Unconscious Bias, and a fun Arts-focused session where the cohort was challenged to express their love for community through a drawing exercise led by Armory Center for the Arts teaching artists and by producing Pasadena - The Center of the Universe public service announcements at Pasadena Media. Special thanks to the following alumni, community leaders, and organizations for supporting these sessions!
  April was a busy month for the LP ’24 cohort! At our recent Economic Development session hosted by Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union, LPers received an overview of the City of Pasadena’s latest initiatives from Economic Development Director David Klug and had the opportunity to question small business owners about their successes and challenges. This was followed by a 2-day Leadership Retreat hosted by Tournament of Roses (TOR) and Fulcrum Adventures. Leadership Development Coach Carolina Caro took the cohort through a series of exercises focused on leaning into their strengths. At TOR, the cohort was greeted by CEO David Eads and enjoyed a docent-led tour of Wrigley Mansion. At Fulcrum Adventures, cohort members challenged themselves on the low and high ropes course. Taking on physical and mental challenges with friends and colleagues certainly develops one’s leadership skills! Special thanks to the following alumni, community leaders, and organizations for supporting these sessions! Pasadena Federal Credit Union Tournament of Roses Fulcrum Adventures David Klug, City of Pasadena Economic Development Director Kaiy Smith, STEMS Catering Alice Taylor, AcuSpa Wellness Center Jamie Potter, Titan Disposal Crystal Aceves, LP ‘23, Der Wolf Restaurant & Bar Larry Hammond, LP ‘12    We are inviting alumni to “come home” to celebrate our 25th year!
To kick things off, we will create an online, password-protected LP Alumni Directory…but we need you! If you're an alumni, please take 5 minutes to complete this brief questionnaire. More information on the directory launch will be shared in upcoming newsletters and here on our website. Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected].  In March, we held several events. We hosted our Education Session, our Science & Tech Field Trip, and a mixer. And there’s more to come to celebrate our 25th year! For our Education Session, we provided the cohort with the opportunity to tour Pasadena Unified School District’s Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet and John Muir Early College Magnet with their principals and ask questions. We discussed the challenging history of education in Pasadena. As community leaders, we left understanding the importance of quality public education and its role in supporting equity for all of our community’s children. At our Science & Tech field trip, LP alumni from Caltech shared with the cohort a number of key initiatives that support our local community. These include important Caltech partnerships with our local schools, the development of student leaders through the Caltech Y, and close engagement with the City of Pasadena to support business development, talent retention, and critical sustainment efforts. Our March mixer was held at Pasadena local establishment, Wild Parrot Brewing Company. LP alumni representing cohorts from our first year through our current cohort were in attendance. It's a lovely way to end the work week... by enjoying time with new and old LP friends while supporting small business owners. Special thanks to the following alumni, community leaders, and organizations for supporting these sessions!
 We recently held our latest Quality of Life Roundtable Discussion. Alumni John Williams (LP '08), Executive Director of The Center for Restorative Justice, Manuel Carmona (LP '17), Deputy Director of Pasadena Public Health, and author Roberta Martínez (LP '99) were joined by Associate Professor Susie Ling of Pasadena City College at Harambee Ministries to discuss Pasadena history and quality of life with our 2024 cohort. It was an impactful and ongoing conversation that’s a key part of our core program. The next day, on our city bus tour led by Brian Biery, the cohort delved deeper into the history of Pasadena, focusing on our neighborhoods past and present as well as current urban planning initiatives. Special thanks to our alumni for supporting these educational efforts!   We’re thrilled to share with you the scope and focus of our current community impact projects that will help shape Pasadena's future.
Affordable Housing Initiatives The quest for affordable housing is a pressing issue, and our cohort is tackling it head-on. Affordable Domestic Units (ADUs) have emerged as a vital Pasadena strategy to combat homelessness and enhance affordability. The challenge lies in simplifying the process for residents to build ADUs. By examining successful models from other cities, our team, in collaboration with city partners, is identifying and mitigating barriers to make ADUs a more accessible option. Advancing Sustainability Pasadena is on a mission to reduce its climate footprint, and there's a wealth of sustainability efforts already underway. The goal of this project is to amplify the city's initiatives and galvanize public support. Working with Pasadena Water & Power, we're exploring effective ways to educate and engage the community in these vital efforts. Economic Development and the 2028 Olympics With the 2028 Olympics on the horizon, Pasadena is poised to host soccer events at the iconic Rose Bowl, presenting a significant economic opportunity. Our cohort is strategizing on how to prepare the community for this global event, support local businesses, and leverage the occasion for lasting economic benefits. DEIB and Community Building The construction of the 710 corridor offers Pasadena a unique opportunity to address past injustices and rebuild relationships with marginalized communities. Our team is researching how other cities have successfully reconnected communities divided by highways and how Pasadena can set a national example for creative transformation with the guidance of the City of Pasadena’s Planning Department and members of the 710 Advisory Group. Public Safety & Health The Handle with Care (HWC) program is a collaborative effort spearheaded by first responders and aimed at supporting children. This effort informs schools when a child has been exposed to a traumatic event with a single, simple message - handle this child with care. No other details are shared. The effort should help break generational cycles of trauma by supporting children’s education and has shown success in the state of West Virginia and San Diego, California. This complex initiative involves city departments, county agencies, and schools. Our cohort is working to optimize the implementation of HWC in partnership with Young & Healthy and first responders. The Pasadena Unified School District, the Pasadena Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and the Sierra Madre Police Department are all playing pivotal roles. These projects are not just plans on paper; they are the embodiment of our commitment to leadership and community service. We invite you to stay engaged and support these transformative endeavors. If you have expertise in any of these areas and want to assist, please email us so we can connect you with the appropriate team leader. Together we are more than leaders; we are catalysts for positive change in Pasadena.  Victoria Williams, (‘20) of BWP Enterprises is the founder of the recent Black Education Expo which was held on Feb. 24 at Lake Avenue Church.
Victoria stepped up to create this expo when she found that other K-12 education resource events weren’t targeting or centering on communities of color. The Black Education Expo shared with the community the many options available to further learning while highlighting opportunities for advancement. By igniting inspiration and championing opportunity, it offered resources to eager youth, educators, and community members. California Assemblymember Chris Holden was on hand to support this effort and a key event sponsor was Pathways LA, which is helmed by yet another LP Alum, Tamika Farr (‘12). Congrats, Victoria!  Welcome to the Class of 2024! We kicked off our newest cohort in January. And this year is extra special. We're also celebrating 25 years of community leadership and service. Yet again we have brought together a diverse group of professionals for leadership development and civic projects with the goal of making a positive impact right here in Pasadena. This is what sets Leadership Pasadena apart… our focus on getting to know Pasadena inside and out. This keen knowledge sets our alumni up to lead with a deeper understanding of the community they're serving. Our impressive lineup of 2024 professionals includes:
It’s true… if you want to learn, grow, and lead alongside some incredible people, LP is the place to be. Here's to another 25 years of empowering leaders!
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