24 emerging community leaders from across the region graduated last week from the 2019 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. The group made up the 14th class to complete Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s long-running leadership-development initiative. This year’s Leadership Institute comprised seven training sessions held over two months and led by faculty of the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Gulf Coast Community Foundation commissioned the training and provided all resources at no cost to participants in exchange for their commitment to use their new skills to benefit the region through community service.

Graduates of the 2019 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute include: Olympia Baylou, Owner/Founder, Blooming Impressions FL; Cathy Bryant, Director of Donor Relations, Streets of Paradise; Michele Demperio, Director of Business Development, Sweet Sparkman Architects;  Alyssa Goudy, Production Manager, The Players Centre for Performing Arts; Jessie Lapek, Center Director, Pregnancy Solutions; Mary Ellen Mancini, Director of Development, Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center; Dawnyelle Singleton, Director of Programs and Community Relations, Visible Men Academy; Mark Smith, Director of Marketing, The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art; and more.

To date, almost 350 community members have participated in Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s leadership-development initiative. Applications for the 2020 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute will be available next January.

Gulf Coast Leadership Institute