Caitlin Barringer VCLA Alumni, Cohort XXV  Development Manager, Kids & Families Together The mission and purpose of Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA) is “connecting people & issues to strengthen our county” and it is something that they embody well.  As a recent graduate of Cohort 25 (Aptly named “We Survived”, due to the COVID-19 pandemic…

Jeremey Shumaker VCLA Cohort XXVI  Regional Director of Operations for American Medical Response On September 11th, 2020 the 26th cohort of the Ventura County Leadership Academy met for their first of ten sessions. The date was not lost on me nor was it on the rest of my fellow leaders. As a veteran and as…

The mission of Ventura County Leadership Academy is connecting people and issues to strengthen our county.  And today, on Patriots Day, Cohort XXVI did just that.  With the task of taking a deeper dive into ten of the largest cities in Ventura County, each team had the opportunity to connect with many key individuals that…

Lately, as the success of the Reel Guppy Outdoors program has surged, I have taken some time to reflect upon the people and events that have gotten us here. An important part of my success with this program has been the lessons I took away from my participation in the Ventura County Leadership Academy.  What…

Author – Maggie Kestly VCLA supporter Maggie Kestly recently added the below post to her Facebook page. Maggie and VCLA founder Dr. Priscilla Partridge de Garcia had a special relationship that was filled with mutual respect & admiration. Please take a moment to read her thoughts below and possibly use the tools that she learned…

By Colleen Malone The focus of the day was on Public Safety and the Arts. The most impactful part of the day for me was visiting the Museum of Ventura County and listening to Tracy Hudak, Founder of CreativityWorks, discuss creative economics. How do we define quality of life? Does the quality of life mean…