Leadership San Juan Islands Class VII Begins in January

Contributed by Marta Nielson

OPEN HOUSE and Information Session ~ Wednesday, October 13^th 5:30 – 7:00 p.m  at Heartwood House, 70 Langell Lane, Eastsound.  For more information and questions please contact Gretchen Krampf at 360-317-8220.

Preparation for Class VII is now underway! If you’re between the ages of 19-109, you’re encouraged to apply for this unique learning opportunity.  Leadership San Juan Islands (LSJI) is a county-wide program which helps participants develop leadership skills such as facilitation, collaborative problem solving, and public speaking and builds an understanding of the many different “systems” such as governance, economics, social services, history and culture, education and the environment that make our Islands unique.   Participants are selected in the fall and spend five months together, January through May, with LSJI staff, alumni, and many regional leaders. Applications and information can be found on the web at www.leadershipsanjuanislands.org.  The deadline to submit applications is November 12.

Program Coordinator for Cohort VII is Marta Nielson, of Orcas Island.  LSJI Coordinating Council Chair, Kyle Loring, says, “We are very fortunate to have someone of Marta’s caliber taking the reins for the program, and I look forward to the fresh perspective she will bring to a program that has grown a stable foundation with the graduation of six classes.” Nielson will work closely with the Curriculum Development Committee led by former Program Coordinator, Cynthia Stark-Wickman from San Juan Island.

Businesses and agencies across the County play a part in the success of Leadership San Juan Islands. Last year’s program appreciated significant donations by Smuggler’s Villa and Heartwood House on Orcas, Lopez Islander Bay Resort on Lopez, and Harrison Suites/Tucker House on San Juan Island. Many Class VI participants were sponsored in part or wholly by their employer or by a local nonprofit. The 2010 program was generously supported by the following sponsors: Law Offices of Skinner and Saar, Lopez Island Family Resource Center, Lopez Island Prevention Coalition, Roche Harbor Resort, San Juan Community Theatre, San Juan Historical Museum, San Juan Island Community Foundation, San Juan Island Prevention Coalition, San Juan Islands National Historical Parks, Lopez Island Family Resource Center, San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, San Juan Preservation Trust, and the Whale Museum. Institutional co-sponsors were Skagit Valley College San Juan Center and the San Juan County Economic Development Council.

If you are interested in participating, sponsoring, or getting more information about this dynamic Leadership program please contact Marta Nielson at 360-376-2786 or visit the LSJI website at https://www.leadershipsanjuanislands.org.