Shaping 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,…

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Uncomfortable 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…

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On the Concours

Since moving to Palm Desert in 2019 Dr. Rick Eberst (cohort XVIII), who served VCLA as a past board member and was the former Interim Program Director has kept up his leadership efforts by recently becoming engaged in new leadership roles in the Coachella Valley. Most recently, he began serving as a VIP Docent at…

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Drum 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…

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Immersion 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…

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City Leadership

Congratulations to VCLA alumni Bill Ayub (cohort XXIII) on his recent appointment as the City Manager for the City of Ventura. Bill was a member of VCLA Cohort XXIII and was also honored as the 2022 Public Sector Leader of the Year at our annual Journey to Leadership Awards event.

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Meditation 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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Making Waves in Oxnard

VCLA alumni Vincent Stewart (cohort XXVII) was not only sworn-in to serve on the Oxnard Planning Commission in March (and quickly voted to the Vice Chair position), but he also joined the board of the Oxnard College Foundation earlier this month. Thank you Vincent for giving so much of your time and talents to our…

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Freska International Immersion

Dr. Jesus Vaca Superintendent – Somis Unified School District It was a pleasure joining Jesus “Chuy” Loza, CEO of FRESKA Produce International located in Oxnard, CA for my recent VCLA immersion activity. My biggest “aha moment” was realizing the amount of revenue made by a small, local company. Established in 2004, they made over 100…

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Immersion in the Law

Waheed Akberzie Clinical Project Manager – SetPoint Medical I know nothing about the law and didn’t study to become a lawyer. So why was I in the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office? As an incoming member of Ventura County Leadership Academy ‘s Cohort XXIX, we’re required to complete an immersion activity that challenges myself and…

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