Cohort Reflections
Being in the Room for Health and Arts
Greg Monterrosa, Startup Mentor
Ventura County Leadership Academy pulled together a lineup across healthcare, public health, and the arts. People are not just talking about systems, but actually running them.
Read MoreTaking on the Capital
Rachel Jacobs, Portfolio Manager, MVSO, Bank of America In 1860, construction began on the CA State Capitol building. When flooding hit in 1861, the foundation was raised 6 feet. It took 14 years to complete the building. In 1975, they gutted the entire building, taking it down to just the exterior walls. The building was…
Read MoreIntentionally Investing in VC Children
Bradley Blue, Vice President of Marketing & Brand Management, Logix Federal Credit Union Is there anything more energizing or hopeful than spending time with someone who absolutely loves what they do? Among the thousand reasons I’m loving my experience in Ventura County Leadership Academy, one stands out: spending one day each month with leaders across…
Read MoreCohort XXXI Gets on the Bus
Sandra Jennings, Workforce/Placement Instructor at Ventura Adult and Continuing Education Friday’s @vcleadershipacademy session focused on transportation, and Cohort 31 had the opportunity to experience it firsthand by riding Gold Coast Transit District buses to several locations across the county. As I reflect on the day, two words stand out: choice and essential. We learned…
Read MoreLooking to the Future of Housing
Sacheen Swan, Civil Law Clerk, County of Ventura – County Counsel “The future is the result of our collective intention now.” ~ Nicholas Deitch, Architect, RRM Design Group Last Friday Ventura County Leadership Academy Cohort XXXI had our fourth session covering issues of housing and homelessness in Ventura County. The high cost of housing and…
Read MoreCohort XXX Reflection
Ingrid Hardy – Assistant City Manager – City of Thousand Oaks This kind of experiential leadership development isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. We all have our own paths. But for those considering VCLA—whether you’re just starting out, mid-career, or well-established—I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore it. I have no regrets, only appreciation.
Read MoreConnections, Conversations, and Perspectives
Laura Hanson – Lead Installation Sexual Assault Response Coor. – Naval Base Ventura County Over the past 9 months, I had the incredible opportunity to engage with a diverse and truly inspiring group of professionals from across Ventura County—people from different industries, backgrounds, and walks of life, all coming together with a shared goal: to…
Read MoreBehavioral Board Appointment
Daniel Bednar – Chief Strategy Officer – OceanAir Federal Credit Union “I’m truly grateful for the environment VCLA created. I’ve always felt called to support, and being able to serve as a veteran voice on the board is both an honor and a privilege. This is such a great example of the kind of connections…
Read More97% of Ventura County
Dr. Nicolas Palacios – Global Marketing Manager – Amgen 97% of development here in Ventura County is planned as Agriculture or Open Space, meaning the remaining is what is allocated to housing, commercial and industrial developments. This is just one factor influencing housing here in addition to the larger issues affecting the crisis across the state.…
Read MoreCohort XXX Video Reflection
Martha Johnson Program Administrator – Ventura County Health Care Agency Get a peek into a VCLA session with this video shared by current cohort member Martha Johnson for her third sessions, covering water, waste, public works, and a visit to The Situation Room Experience. View the video HERE.
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