Cohort Reflections
97% 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.
Read MoreVentura County’s Natural Beauty
Rhett Mauch Chief Executive Officer – Search Dog Foundation As a new Ventura County Leadership Academy member, I was allowed to participate in an immersion experience to take an in-depth look into an attribute of our county that I was interested in learning more about. I took this opportunity to visit Santa Cruz Island, the…
Read MoreA Special Place in His Heart
Gopi Nadella LCDR Judge Advocate General’s Corps. – U.S. Navy This one has a special place in my heart! Through Ventura County Leadership Academy and the wonderful Pattie Braga, I had the opportunity to meet with Eric Knight, Executive Director at the Humane Society of Ventura County last week. Really appreciate the time that Eric took to share with me his journey…
Read MoreWe’re All One Tragedy Away
Tina Wang Program Management Analyst – County of Ventura It’s hard to believe we are halfway through our VCLA sessions. Each one has been incredibly impactful, and our most recent one on the unhoused and social safety nets was just as informative and eye-opening as our previous ones. Thank you, Pattie Braga (Cohort XVII), for…
Read MoreShaping Tomorrow
Jay Doniaz Financial Inclusion & Education Manager – Ventura County Credit Union Participating in VCLA’s Housing and Transportation sessions was such an eye-opening experience that provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing Ventura County. The diverse range of speakers and topics covered throughout the day shed light on the intricate relationship between housing, transportation,…
Read MoreUncomfortable Leadership
Meg Cipolla Accounting Manager – Food Share of Ventura County Where do I even start…this was, by far, my favorite session of the three we’ve had in the program. I enjoyed “pulling back the curtain” to see behind the scenes of a few of our public works. Speaking for myself, I know that I’ve taken…
Read MoreDrum Circles, Dogs, and Making Waves
Aaron Ferguson Coordinator Of Distance Learning – Oxnard Union High School District Three instant takeaways from my first session as a VCLA Cohort: I’m not great in a drum circle but you can definitely feel the love. My dog is not as well trained as the dogs at the Search Dog Foundation, but she does…
Read MoreImmersion at Community Memorial Hospital
Al Lowe President – Al Lowe Construction, Inc. For my VCLA Cohort XXIX immersion activity, I had the opportunity to spend a half day with the CEO and other members of the administrative staff of Community Memorial Health System. I have been associated with healthcare because my father was a doctor and well as my…
Read MoreMeditation Mount
Sheila Norman Community Education Administrator – Ventura County Fire Department The driving force behind me applying to Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA) was to get out of my comfort zone and expand my personal effectiveness. However, this opportunity comes with anxiety and feelings of unworthiness– not knowing what to expect or what would be expected…
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