Let's Get to Work

I'm excited to have recently taken over as the Leadership Foundation Board of Directors chair for the next year. At the retreat in July, the board discussed how we can work together most effectively to ensure we help the Foundation reach its goals and prepare for future success.

We welcomed new board members—Gino Greco, Irma Lockridge, Jason Maples, Ruth Rohs, Amy Venturi and incoming Denver Metro Chamber Board of Directors Chair Donna Lynne—and we bid farewell to an outstanding group of board members who have given of their time, talents and resources on the Foundation board over the past several years—Greg Bante, Christine Benero, Margie Mauldin, Mimi Roberson, Landri Taylor, Lynne Valencia, Andre van Hall and outgoing Chamber Chair John Beeble. We also thanked Dan Lewis for his exceptional service as the Leadership Foundation board chair for the past year and look forward to building on his success in the coming year.

Finally, we said goodbye to our fearless leader, Tameka Montgomery. We are truly excited for her presidential appointment as associate administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development at the Small Business Administration. The Leadership Foundation is conducting a search for her replacement, and we hope to have her successor named in late September. I am personally committed to making sure the transition is as smooth as possible.

The board retreat was an extremely productive meeting, and I'm excited to build on past success and help take the Leadership Foundation to a whole new level. As we look toward the Leadership Foundation's coming year, I am confident we will continue to advance our goals of Vision 2017 to grow, create impact, be visible in our community and engage others about the Leadership Foundation and its desire to connect and inspire leaders who will create civic change in our region.

I look forward to connecting with new Leadership Foundation participants and alumni over the next year and hearing from you. Please feel free to contact me at cindy_parsons@cable.comcast.com.

Looking forward to a great year,
Cindy Parsons
Chair, Leadership Foundation Board of Directors

Impact Denver Applications Available Today

The application period is now open for Impact Denver, an introductory civic leadership program specially designed for metro Denver's next generation of community leaders. The 2014 program will run from Jan. 16 to June 19. Deadline to apply is Oct. 21. Click here for more information or to download an application.

Alumni Spotlight: Bill Fulton

Bill Fulton, LD '06, is the founder and co-director of the Civic Canopy, a community-based nonprofit organization that builds stronger neighborhoods, healthier communities and a more just society by facilitating connection, transformation and results.

Leadership Foundation: What do you feel are the greatest civic issues facing Denver?

Since most of our most pressing civic issues—from homelessness, to environmental concerns, to educational disparities, to economic development challenges—all stem from the same basic underlying patterns, I would have to say that the greatest challenge we face is reweaving the basic fabric of community instead of merely pursuing our isolated self-interest. Our political and economic systems reinforce individual rights and rewards, and it takes heroic efforts to think and act as a community. We have got to find innovative ways to make sure our individual efforts add up to more than the sum of our parts.

Read our full Q&A with Bill and check out our previous alumni spotlights.

Share Your Reasons to Celebrate 40 Years of Leadership Denver

Calling all LD alumni: We're looking for stories from your LD class—an important relationship formed, a supportive group experience or that thing you still smile about when you think of your Leadership Denver class. We'll highlight a story from each class leading up to our 40th anniversary. Submit your story to Sara Crocker at sara.crocker@denverleadership.org and we may use it as one of our 40 Reasons to Celebrate LD!