Practically Radical: 

Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself  

by William C. Taylor

We are excited to announce that it is "that time of year again" for Leadership Institute recruitment.  Applications are now ready for Class 33 of Leadership Institute; and if you have friends, colleagues, or acquaintances that you think would benefit from Leadership Institute, please encourage them to apply. Each year, we are blown away by the caliber of individuals who enter the program, and we look forward to Class 33 continuing this legacy of excellence.
 

We are also pleased to announce that this year our application process is entirely online. You can click here to access the application and forward it to any potential applicants. To further encourage and inform interested candidates, we are hosting an LI Application workshop at the VL office on Thursday, February 24, 2011 from 7:30-8:30 AM as well as an Applicant Reception on Thursday, March 31, 2011 from 5:30-7:00 PM at First Studio, Phoenix.

Our alumni and community friends are a boon to our recruitment efforts through their own personal testimonies about their time in Valley Leadership. We encourage you to share your experiences as a class member or as an alum with those interested in personal and leadership development. We thank you for all the individuals you have inspired to apply throughout our 33 year history, because we would not have the outstanding network of alumni we have today without your support. If you would like to be involved in the interviewing process through reading applications (April 22-29) or interviewing candidates (May 12-14), please contact Beth Thomson-Gorman at 602-952-6760 or beth@valleyleadership.org, and she can get you plugged into whatever role you would like to take.

We look forward to seeing you at the 62nd Annual Man and Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon where we will celebrate our Inspiring Leaders, Jim Bruner and Sam Kathryn Campana. Be sure to mark March 24, 2011 on your calendars and reserve your seat by registering on the Valley Leadership website or through the office.

Please Purchase Your Seat Today 

2010 Honorees Sam Kathryn Campana & Jim Bruner

For the past 62 years, the Man and Woman of the Year Awards presented by Valley Leadership has honored two outstanding individuals who have exhibited exemplary leadership, community outreach and remained true to their values and beliefs when faced with adversity.
 

This year we honor two Inspiring Leaders of our community - Jim Bruner and Sam Kathryn Campana as the 2010 Man and Woman of the Year. Mr. Bruner and Ms. Campana exemplify the leadership values, skills and knowledge essential to strengthening our Valley's social and economic well-being.

Click here to view the formal invitation.
 
Tickets are $120, or you can purchase a table for $1,000.  Please click here to learn more about the event and sponsorship opportunities.

Valley Leadership is also seeking support with registration the day of the luncheon. If you would be available to help from 10:30 AM-12 Noon on March 24th, please contact Beth at 602-952-6760 or at beth@valleyleadership.org.

For more information visit www.valleyleadership.org or contact Amy Buchan (Class 31), Event Chair at amy.buchan@apollogrp.edu, Milton Dellossier (Class 29), Event Vice-Chair at milton.a.dellossier@wellsfargo.com, or Frank McCune at frank@valleyleadership.org.

Now Available Online

We are seeking community-minded individuals with demonstrated talent in leadership to be a part of our next class, and we need your help. If you know someone who would be a great addition to Class 33, please encourage them to apply.

This year we are introducing our new, entirely electronic application and reference forms.

For interested applicants, we will be hosting two free events to better acquaint candidates with the program and the application process. They are:

Application Workshop

Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011

Time: 7:30-8:30 AM

Location: Valley Leadership Office;

2700 N. 3rd St., Ste 2009, Phoenix 85004

Applicant Reception

Date: Thursday, March 31, 2011

Time: 5:30-7:00 PM

Location: First Studio;

Discover the Benefits of Being a Community Steward

• Free attendance to specially arranged tours, social events and community dialogues
• A complimentary gold VL nametag designating your Community Stewards Society membership
• At least two tickets to Valley Leadership's annual Man & Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon ($200+ value) 
• Invitations to special receptions for Community Stewards
• Donor recognition on Valley Leadership's website for a full year, as well as in the Annual Summary of Accomplishments and the Man & Woman of the Year program 
• Annual membership dues are included
• Your membership may be eligible for a tax deduction (please consult your tax advisor)

And Off They Go!

Valley Teen Leadership Class 15 is off to a great start under the leadership of Michelle Hernandez (Class 23), VTL Program Chair.

Orientation for the teens and their parents was hosted once again by our friends at Wells Fargo on January 19th.  The teens and adults received an overview of the program and had an opportunity to meet with one another, but the highlight of the evening was Jonathan Charlton (VTL Class 14) who spoke about his experiences in VTL, and how a trip to Central America over the summer for a school work project evolved into his creating a non-profit to support the youth of that community.  Jonathan continues to serve as a member of the VTL Advisory committee and is helping as a program day volunteer this year. 

The class then met a week later for their Retreat held at St. Mary's Food bank in Phoenix and sponsored by SRP.  They spent a day learning about each other and participating in team building activities lead by Debbie Paine (Class 27), Retreat Chair, and Michelle Kable (Class 31), Retreat Vice-Chair.

 
Program Day 1, "Courage to Act," was held on Saturday, February 5th and was graciously hosted at Grand Canyon University through a new partnership with The Ken Blanchard College of Business.  The day was organized by Michelle Hernandez (Class 23), Program Day 1 Chair and Jason Pistillo (Class 27), Day 1 Vice-Chair, and supported by several volunteers, including Marisol Miller (Class 25), Dana Kralicek (VTL 13), Erika Crandall (VTL 14), Tracy Carneal (VTL 14), Joshua Miller (VTL 11).  The teens had the honor of spending the morning with Dr. Ken Blanchard, who flew in especially to present to the teens on "Leading at a Higher Level." The rest of the day was filled with lessons in vision coaching, situational leadership and managing one's personal brand. 

Thank you to our teen sponsors: Best Buy Children's Fund, Coyotes Charities, Fry's Food Stores, Otto & Edna Neely Foundation, The USAA Foundation, Wells Fargo, SRP, The Ken Blanchard College of Business, University of Advancing Technology, APS, ASU West Campus, Arizona Latino Media Association, Universal Technical Institute, Scottsdale Community College, Rio Salado Community College, and Michelle & Chris Hernandez.

Recognizing the Accomplishments of Valley Leadership Alumni

Mark K. Briggs (Class 18) recently started his own law firm, Briggs Law Group PLLC.

Dr. Fran Roberts (Class 10) has been named DeVry Inc.'s Healthcare Group Vice President for Strategic Alliances.

Brenda Sperduti (Class 14) has officially announced that she is running for Phoenix City Council in District 5.

In Memoriam:

Ellyn Clifton (Class 6) passed away in December, 2010.