Eaton Fire & Rebuilding

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 

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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

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Nancy Carol "NC" Inguanzo
Executive Director

Karen Burgess
Operations Director