Twenty emerging LGBT community members will graduate later this month from a new program that seeks to develop practical leadership skills among a new community of LGBT standouts.
The inaugural class of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s Distinctive Officers program will complete their training with a ceremony July 20 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, during which they will present their plans for their future community involvement to local LGBT leaders.
By then, the group will have participated in four sessions on topics like developing soft leadership skills, effective advocacy and fundraising led by individuals like out Harrisburg City Controller Dan Miller, Victory Fund board member Alex Reber, Temple University faculty member Lee Carson, Attic Youth Center development director Alyssa Mutryn, Independent Business Alliance president Evan Urbania and DVLF co-founder John Cunningham.
“They’ve been learning what it is to be on a committee, to serve on the board of a nonprofit or just to be more involved in the community,” said DVLF executive director John Moeller. “And they’ve also been looking at what they’re personally interested in and taking that to the next level through their leadership.”
There are no costs associated with the program, and Moeller said the group members will get to put their new skills to good use in soliciting in-kind donations for the graduation ceremony.
In addition to the classroom-type instruction, participants were given a case study to work on, and each individual will be expected to announce at the graduation event their personal plans for community leadership, whether by joining a board of directors or another leadership outlet.
DVLF networked with current community leaders to identify participants, and invites were sent out to 150 people.
Moeller said the participants are “young” in terms of their community leadership, not necessarily in age.
More than half of the invitees expressed interest in an upcoming session, Moeller said, and the next round of workshops will be held in the fall.
“Our board is very excited about this because it really fits with our mission,” he said. “We’re working on building legacies in the community, and that’s exactly what these leaders are doing.”
“It’s been great to see the class participating, spending a whole Sunday learning together. They’re very excited and engaged.”
For more information on the program, contact Moeller at 215-563-6417 ext. 117, or at [email protected].
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].