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!’”

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!

• Pasadena Media
• Armory Center for the Arts
• Flintridge Center
• Bobbie Ferguson, LP ‘23
• Josh McCurry, LP ‘23
• Lilia Hernandez, Director of Community Programs, Armory Arts

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].