Leadership Palm Beach County

LPBC thanks our 2007-2008 Community Partners for supporting our work
"Uniting Leaders to Build a Better Community". 

Youth Leadership achieved several milestones this year:  for the first time, the class received a full roster of Youth participant nominations before the nomination deadline.  This was also the first year the organization selected 48 students to participate, resulting in the largest graduating class to date. 

Our alumni continued to develop extraordinary session days for the education and enjoyment of the class, while finding new ways to make a difference.  Thanks to Forte Interactive, the lawyers of Jones Foster Johnston & Stubbs, P.A., Sid & Annette Stubbs, and the Songwriters in the Round benefit, YLPBC awarded seven total scholarships this year.  The Youth Committee received a record 36 scholarship applications to consider.  Nearly 200 guests attended graduation in May to celebrate our Youth Leaders and recognize scholarship recipients Taylor DeArmond, Emma DeWalt, Fayeza Fatema, Miles Henderson, Andrew Kairys, Michael Pollard and Olivia Tighe.  A complete list of Youth graduates is available on the Youth Leadership section of our website.

Leadership Palm Beach County annually produces two signature events:  Songwriters in the Round to raise money for our Youth Leadership Program, and the Leadership Excellence Award dinner to recognize the difference LPBC graduates make in our community.  Thanks to the hard work of exceptional volunteers, and generous support from our sponsors  and graduates, both events hit new highs this year.

Chairs:  Ron Harbison & Marty Rogol

Another standing-room-only, sold out event!  This year, LPBC was honored to have the Hit Men of Music Row perform.  Among these four singer/songwriters, The Hit Men have produced over forty #1 hit songs.  Two standing ovations and one encore later, people were already signing up for the 2009 Songwriters benefit. 

In addition to putting on an unforgettable show, the Hit Men helped auction off two signed guitars and other prizes, generating enough additional revenue to add 2 new scholarships for the Youth Leadership class.

Songwriters in the Round 2008 was presented by Roger Dean Chevrolet and supported by Double Platinum Sponsor Signature Records, Platinum Sponsors Broad & Cassel and Merrill Lynch.  Gold Sponsors include Ron Harbison, Hedrick Brothers Construction, Tom Hotz, Laureen Hunter, Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A., Palm Beach Daily News, Marty Rogol, Toshiba Business Solutions of Florida.  Silver Sponsors were Ackerman Link & Sartory, ARCADIS, Forte Interactive, David Greene, Jackie Halderman, Jeff Hap, Hundley Farms, Nellie King, Law Offices of Nellie L. King, Angie Niehoff, Larry Rochefort, TKM-Bengard Farms, LLC, and Touchstone Webb Realty.  Friends of Leadership sponsors include Michael & Stephanie Barker, Dari Bowman, Ceres Innovations, Child Life Institute, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Florida State University Boosters, Gonzalez Associates, Inc., Bradley & Chanelle Harper, Patricia White Kearney, leadershipForward, www.musiciansbuy.com, Nashville Songwriters Association International, Palm Beach Community College, www.pioneerlinens.com, Karen & Robert Vickers, Rigell, Ring, Ardman, Waterman & Wolfe, P.A., RSM McGladrey, WIRK, and Workforce Alliance.  The Harriet-CityPlace donated space for this benefit concert.

In addition to supporting our educational programs and signature events, LPBC graduates volunteered on a variety of committees to support our mission to serve as the catalyst for change in our county. 

• Recruitment Committee
  Chair:  Laurel Baker
  
  The Recruiting Committee led the way in generating extraordinary excitement, and a significant increase in applications for the Class of 2009.  The committee launched its efforts in December with a recruiting event for friends and contacts of the Class of 2008, and continued with four additional events that helped over 120 interested candidates learn about LPBC.  Members of the Recruiting Committee attended a variety of community events throughout 2007-2008 to help spread the word about LPBC and ensure diversity among applicants, while exposing business, nonprofit and government leaders from all areas of the county and all industries to our programs. 
  
  The committee and LPBC are deeply appreciative of the continued support and enthusiasm from our entire graduate base in encouraging friends and colleagues at an individual level to apply for LPBC.
  
  
• Alumni Relations & Class Ambassador Program
  Chairs:  David Greene & Regenia Scott
  
  As of this spring, the committee achieved a core goal to formalize at least one Ambassador for each of LPBC's classes.  The Class Ambassador Program was instrumental in generating record attendance at events including LEA-2008 (see the Class of 2000 - featured at left). 
  
  This year, the Committee established protocol for ongoing communication between Ambassadors and their classes to keep alumni abreast of key LPBC and community events and news.  The committee also set up a dedicated email address through which graduates can report personal & professional news to share throughout the LPBC community:  alumninews@leadershippbc.org.  With this structure in place, the Ambassadors are poised to deliver more frequent and personalized communications to complement centralized LPBC updates throughout 2008-2009. 
  
  
• Marketing & Public Relations
  Chair:  Barbara Fretwell
  
  The Marketing & Public Relations committee continued to focus on increasing public awareness of LPBC's accomplishments.  Focus areas this year include updating the LPBC website to include quotes from alumni on their LPBC experience, and development of a "talking points" card, which highlights key attributes of LPBC. This card will be mailed to all members this summer in support of the great work LPBC alumni do to help spread the word about our organization and programs.  In recognition of LPBC's Silver Anniversary, the committee has also developed a 25th Anniversary logo, and begun work to develop a marketing piece which will include a video recap of key organizational milestones and memories. 
  
  
• GET REAL Committee
  Chair:  Michele Gurto DeLong
  
  The GET REAL Program launched its second year of partnering with the Palm Beach County School District to link teachers in the Career Academies with appropriate experts working in the field in  their industries.  The committee facilitated a successful Job Shadow day in the fall.  In late spring, John Southard led the Board through a review of the Program and its future plans.  The committee will expand its efforts through development of an online volunteer system to allow LPBC alumni to sign up for job shadowing and mentoring opportunities.  The committee will also develop a speakers' bureau and on-line database of alumni who are interested in serving as judges for local scholarships and academic competitions or as advisory council volunteers. 
  
  
• Up Close & Personal Committee
  Chair:  Bradley Harper
  
  Late last fiscal year, the Up Close & Personal Committee brought U.S. Attorney, R. Alex Acosta, to Palm Beach County for a unique set of events:  a small group discussion with a cross section of community leaders, and a larger presentation which was free of charge and open to the public.  During both, Acosta addressed the growing concerns regarding a culture of corruption that has been building in recent years.  Spurred on by public interest in addressing the ethics issue and a commitment on the part of LPBC alumni and supporters, the Up Close & Personal Committee selected to focus on the ethics issue in 2007-2008.
  
  In October, LPBC alumni enjoyed an Up Close & Personal with Stephen M.R. Covey, produced in partnership with Easter Seals of Florida.  During this event, Mr. Covey spoke to the teachings of his new book The Speed of Trust, which emphasized the economic underpinnings of trust and continued the committee's focus on ethics.
  
  
• Ethics Forum and Ongoing Ethics Initiative
  Chair:  Marty Rogol
  Unfortunately, we find the reputation of Palm Beach County tarnished by the arrests and convictions of a number of elected officials.  The U.S. Attorney and the FBI have opened a special office in West Palm Beach to look for more.  The perception exists that there is a culture of corruption in Palm Beach County.  In response, LPBC initiated an effort to create a Culture of Ethics.  A committee was formed to study best practices in ethics, survey opinion leaders, and hold a community-wide forum on ethics.   Florida CFO, Alex Sink, kicked off the Forum June 3rd, and urged attendees to create a model for the rest of the state to follow.  Summaries of the results of the Forum will soon be distributed to attendees, with requests to join 1 of 3 committees to move the effort forward.  Alumni are invited to participate in this effort through registering for the Ethics Committee in 2008-2009.
  
  
• Past Presidents Council
  
  Since Michele Gurto DeLong convened the first meeting of the Past Presidents Council in 2006, Leadership Palm Beach County's Past Presidents have been meeting to provide insight and guidance in support of the organization's mission, vision and strategic objectives.  Through such initiatives as the Curriculum Revision Project and the upcoming Silver Anniversary celebrations, LPBC's Past Presidents continue to shape the future of Palm Beach County, while helping our organization remain true to our traditions and our past.
  
  
• Finance & Audit Committee
  Chair:  Ron Harbison
  
  In continued work to ensure the fiscal strength of our organization, the Finance & Audit Committee was established in 2008.  In addition to contributing to the development of the 2008-2009 budget, this committee will be responsible for an ongoing review of LPBC's financials.  The Committee will also offer guidance on ways to best leverage LPBC's income and investments in support of our mission.