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2010 will be the 20th Anniversary of LSBC! Alumni are invited to join the Board in developing a series of events during the year to highlight the successes and future vision for LSBC.
Valerie Ellis will be hosting a planning meeting and social get together on Thursday, January 21, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 at 190 Pebble Hill Drive, Santa Barbara, to discuss potential activities and ways to keep alumni involved with LSBC and connected with other alums. Refreshments and appetizers will be served.
Look for an evite coming your way soon!
For more information, contact Valerie Ellis, Alumni Chair, at 683-1830.
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This new series introduces a member of this years class to our Alumni. Look forward to a continuation of this series on a quarterly basis. Our goal is to tie in alumni to the current class with introductions and highlights of our curriculum and its applications.
 Sheila Hess: Santa Barbara County Clerk, Recorder and Assessor / Elections Supervisor
Background: I was born in San Fernando Valley and moved to Santa Maria, CA when I was 10 yrs old. When I turned 18 I moved to the Five Cities in San Luis Obispo County where I raised my family. For the last 5 years I have commuted to Santa Barbara to work for the County of Santa Barbara. In November 2009 I re-located to Santa Barbara.
Application of the Curriculum: The most noticeable change has been at work specifically in meetings. When going into a meeting I’m more organized. I find myself speaking up and focusing our meetings when they lose their track. I also re-cap at the end to make sure I understand what I am responsible for, which has prompted others to do the same. I also have made a conscience effort to let my staff know daily that I appreciate them. Not quite at the 7-10 times a day but definitely more than once. These changes have been brought to my attention from my Manager.
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I grew up in Riverside, CA, attended UC Riverside and graduated with a double major in Environmental Science and Anthropology in 2001. I always knew that museums were the right place for me- it just took me a little while to realize that dream. I moved to Santa Barbara in 2002 and worked in environmental education at several organizations before making it to the Museum. I've run the 4 year youth development program at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for 5 years now. http://sbnature.org/education/147.html
The LSBC alumni played a big role in my decision to join the board. The enormous amount of time that they put into me and my other classmates was unbelievable. I kept thinking "They don't even know me and yet are so confident! They are putting in so much time to make this a great experience for me....why?" The answer is simple. They are caring people who want to make a difference in the community. Developing future leaders is a wonderful way to do that. If one person could feel the same way I did after finishing LSBC then I would be satisfied. But what if 20 people did year after year? I was excited about the prospect of making a huge difference and doing it with amazing people who were just as committed as me.
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As I begin my term as president I'd like to thank the previous presidents, board members and alumni for getting LSBC to the place it is today. Your vision and execution have helped put LSBC on solid footing for years to come. We continue to thrive despite the economic issues and the difficulties currently experienced by organizations throughout the area. Again, we have you to thank.
As we enter 2010, I'd like to welcome our three newest board members: Monica Ballon, Raegan Erdman and Mike Osborn. Each of these Leadership Graduates come from the class of 2009. They bring an immense amount of energy, thoughtfulness and desire to improve our program and contributions to the quality of life in Santa Barbara. Our board is committed to updating you, our alumni, with consistent communication regarding the strength of the program, the great things our alumni are doing and the ways in which you can help us continue to provide the most comprehensive networking, leadership training and quality of life program in Santa Barbara. Please start by helping us celebrate our 20th anniversary, which will spearhead the next 20 years of Leadership in Santa Barbara.
I also ask that you mark your calendars and join us, if just for 30 minutes, at one of this year's topic days. I consistently receive testimonials from class members that remind me how much your support means to them. This years schedule and topic days are listed here:
January 8, 2010- Sustainable Livable Communities
February 12, 2010- Education Systems
March 12, 2010- Poverty Amongst Affluence
April 9, 2010- At Risk Youth
May 14, 2010 - Class Project
On behalf of the board, it is my great priviledge to wish each and every one of you a happy and prosperous New Year.
Brian Schwabecher, Board President
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On Friday, November 13, 2009 the Leadership Santa Barbara County Class of 2010 selected Laguna Cottages for Seniors to benefit from their annual Class Community Service Project.
The project presentations were held at the offices of Penfield & Smith by organizations that included the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County, Laguna Cottages for Seniors, SB Family Care Center- Centro Infantil and Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative Homes. The organizations presented their diverse needs including outdoor learning environments, handicap accessible picnic areas, a teen center and a composting program. The hour-long, post-presentation class discussion, facilitated by LSBC ex-president Dru van Hengel, resulted in the LSBC Class of 2010 selecting Laguna Cottages for Seniors Composting Program as their class community service project for their term.
The proposed project involves the creation of composting facilities on the Laguna Cottages property and the creation and implementation of a composting education and maintenance program that will be sustained primarily by the residents for use in their community garden as well as their own potted plants near their cottages. Executive Director Beebee Longstreet is “looking forward to working with Leadership Santa Barbara County and involving our residents in a green project.”
In 2009, Leadership Santa Barbara County worked with Isla Vista Youth Projects (IVYP) in partnership with the Orfalea Foundation to help develop an outdoor classroom environment. It was the first time the LSBC program had integrated hands on community organizing, fundraising, project planning and execution into their curriculum.
Laguna Cottages for Seniors has been around for over half a century and provides affordable housing for elderly with limited finances. For more information on this project, past projects and current program information, please email Leadership Santa Barbara County at info@leadsb.org or view their webpage at www.leadsb.org.
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Monica Ballon, Graduate of the Class of 2009