Leadership Mendocino connects and inspires local citizens interested in finding out more about the County’s education, health care, government, business, arts, agriculture, and remote communities. The community-based program creates educational and inspirational opportunities for those who believe in the future of Mendocino County and are ready to make a difference. Participants, even life-long residents, are surprised to meet leaders and go places they didn’t know about.
Since its founding in 1992 with funding from PG&E and organizing by John Mayfield, Jack Cox, Charlie Barra, Sheila Rogers, and others, Leadership Mendocino has graduated more than 700 people and has a 30-year record of excellence in community engagement. These graduates represent a cross-section of the county and come from the coast, inland, towns, valleys and mountains. They include teachers, realtors, non-profit leaders, bankers, business owners, environmentalists, artists, farmers and a hundred different businesses, organizations, and agencies from public, private and nonprofit sectors. Through participation in the nine-month program, class members complete a project or join a board of directors thereby increasing their impact to the betterment of our community.
A program of North Coast Opportunities, Leadership Mendocino is self-funded and supports itself with participant tuition, alumni dues, fundraising, and business sponsorships. An independent steering committee oversees the Program Director and program facilitation.
Current Steering Committee members are: Alison Glassey- Ukiah Rotary, Carolyn Welch -Retired North Coast Opportunities, Lucas Boek – Fetzer Vineyards, Jonathan Torrez – Fmr. Point Arena City Council, Jayma Shields Spence – Laytonville Healthy Start, Vicente Phelan – Ukiah Redwood Ford, and Neil Davis – City of Ukiah.
