The Genesis
Leadership Austin was created to develop a pool of well-informed and well-motivated men and women qualified to assume present and future leadership roles in Austin. To better prepare them for positions of public and private decision making. The program model had been developed across the Country, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce chose to sponsor Austin’s program. Bill Youngblood (remember the Terminix bug on Lamar!) was the first Chamber Leadership Austin Chair, succeeded by Neal Spelce, then C of C President.
Being the program’s first year, there were yet to be strict candidate selection standards, and I was able to sneak in. The selection committee confused me with Jan Bullock, and I was invited to join the cool smart kids such as Cathy Bonner, Bronson Dorsey, Diane Downing, Trey Garrison, Charlie Guerrero, Steve Harris, Chris Harte, Frank Jackson, Glen Johnson, Greg Kozmetsky, Mike Metschan, Jan Pickle, Pike Powers, Bill Stotesbery and others for the first class.
A CIVIC LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
The LA program opened the eyes, hearts and minds of most of us, and resulted in a network of better-informed “community trustees” to collaborate in the best interests of this dynamic community. Established leaders and community professionals were brought in to lead discussions on the economy, government, education, law enforcement and the justice system, health & welfare, leisure and the arts, and principles of leadership.
These were eye-opening experiences for most of us. A Good Example…My friend and fellow LA classmate Trey Garrison’s dad, Homer Garrison, had recently retired from being the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, our highest law enforcement leadership position. When Trey and I walked out on the steps of the Travis County Courthouse, after visiting the jail during our justice system overview, Trey turned to me and said, “Wow, I never knew as much about the justice system until this morning.” Most of our LA sessions brought new insights into critical community areas, and introduced us to the diverse experts for our future reference.
THE POWER OF LA ALUMNI NETWORKING
A PLETHORA OF GOOD FOLKS…LEADERSHIP AUSTIN ALUMNI CHAIRS FROM MANY YEARS…
Mike Meroney, Dan Bullock, Barry Curlee, Don Martin, Joene Grissom, Rick Whitley, Toya Bell, Tom Forbes, Shannon Meroney, Debbie Johnson, Brian Dolezal, Colette Burnette, Eugene Sepulveda, Joan Lava, Libby Malone, David Escamilla, Bill Stotesbery…Exec. Dir. Christopher Kennedy
Forty years later, LA has a considerable alumni base, with most here in Central Texas. This is a valuable community resource pool that most of us have tapped for a myriad of projects and challenges. They represent a diversity of business, government and non-profit organizations and considerable individual expertise. LA alums are well-represented in public office, on boards and commissions, and in other leadership and philanthropic roles.
Current LA Exec. Dir. Christopher Kennedy follows a succession of outstanding staff leaders who have herded these cats, shaped the curriculum and created a unique subset of programs to best serve LA and the broader community. Austin’s program is now considered a model for best practices, and is called on to guide the development of neighboring programs.
Clayton and me at an earlier LA event…
A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
After 40 years, it’s not surprising that many of us have daughters and sons who’ve followed us into Leadership Austin. Encouraging on so many levels. I’m proud that my son Clayton was selected for the program not long ago, and it’s been fun to see him benefit from building his own network. He’s honed his leadership skills, applied them in both business and civic affairs, and far surpassed his proud dad in his community achievements.
My Leadership Austin experience was the catalyst that prompted me to complement my personal and professional lives with serious community service involvement. I loved the ability to leverage the community leader network to rally resources to address civic issues, knowing we could make a significant contribution. LA gave me a great civic boost, and I join many others in celebrating this notable 40 years of service to the Austin community. We all win in the process. CONGRATS, LEADERSHIP AUSTIN!