Announcing the 40th Class of Leadership Dallas

The Dallas Regional Chamber is pleased to announce the 40th class of Leadership Dallas, the premier leadership development program in the region.

“The Leadership Dallas Class of 2015 has been selected based on their commitment to the Dallas community as well as their high potential for leadership,” said Dale Petroskey, President and CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber.  “We are proud to welcome these talented, committed individuals into the program, and look forward to working with them.  Leadership Dallas is a real commitment, and these individuals will spend many hours gaining a deeper understanding of what makes the Dallas region a great place to live, work, and play.  When their year is completed, each one of them will better appreciate this community, be in a better position to play a leadership role in helping make the Dallas region even better than it already is, and gain some life-long friends and colleagues.”

Leadership Dallas Government, Media & Politics Day Recap

By Sandra Beach Lin, Leadership Dallas Class of 2013

The Leadership Dallas Class of 2013’s Government, Media & Politics (GMP) Day on December 7th proved to be full of interesting, enlightening and useful discussions at Dallas City Hall.

The day began with a session with Leadership professor Pete DeLisle, who briefed us on a leadership model that demonstrated a continuum from self-interest to self-sacrifice.  This led to a discussion on distributive vs. integrative leadership and how this can be seen in the spectrum of  political leaders.

Dr. Ronald Hy, Associate Provost for Academic Excellence at the University of North Texas at Dallas then provided the class with a “Civics 101” presentation.  He described the Mayor-City Council-City Manager form of government used in Dallas.  He also enlightened us on the revenue sources for the city and the “hidden governments” throughout the region, including school districts, water districts and airports.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins provided a lively talk on Dallas County, and how it partners with the city of Dallas on key areas like transportation, roads, trails and traffic control.  He reminded the class that Dallas County has wide responsibility for public health, including Parkland Hospital.  Judge Jenkins gave the class a great view on the decision-making process for the West Nile virus mosquito spraying that took place this past summer.  He encouraged all LD class members to “till the soil for the next generation of leaders”.

Mary Suhm, Dallas City Manager (and LD alum) then provided a fascinating tour of what’s new and underway in Dallas.  She informed the class about the business model of government in Dallas, where she, as the City Manager (“CEO”) implements the policy decisions of the Mayor and City Council.  Her excitement about where the city is headed was clear as she talked about the Dallas Arts District, the Perot Museum, Klyde Warren Park, Trinity River Corridor Project and the Trinity Forest Golf Course, to name a few.

Leadership Dallas Class Day Recap: Education

By Ashley Givens

How do we spend today developing tomorrow’s leaders?  From what we witnessed at the Barak Obama Male Leadership Academy, we start in our schools.

Our 2013 Leadership Dallas Class just finished its second class day with Education as the topic. The Barak Obama Male Leadership Academy was a gracious host and by the end of the day we were all so inspired by what they are able to achieve with their students that we were all ready to contribute to their bottom line . . . . with our time, our talents or our financial support.

The day was designed to give our class an introduction to education in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.  It gave us perspective of what is happening locally, in the legislature and what we need to be ready to tackle as a community.

YP/LDA Golf Classic Recap

By Julie Tanner, Director of Leadership

It was clear blue skies and perfect weather for golf at the 2012 Dallas Regional Chamber Golf Classic on Monday, October 29.  Brookhaven Country Club was the host to the annual event, which is the primary fundraiser for the Young Professionals and the holiday toy drive, benefitting the Salvation Army.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better day of weather for the tournament.  A day on the course was the perfect way for our members to say thank you to employees, clients, and referral sources” said Stephanie Braislin, event co-chair, Whitley Penn, LLP. 

Leadership Dallas Class Day Recap: History vs. the future: What do you know about Dallas?

By Casey Miller, Imaginuity

Members of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2013 talked history and the future during breaks.

Where we live has a profound impact on our daily lives, naturally. But how much does the HISTORY of our home region affect our lives? The answer: Just as profoundly, if we take the time to learn from our shared history.

It seems obvious enough. Our shared history – as a planet, as a nation, as a state, as a family – is crucial to charting a path for the future. But in our manic, 24/7 plugged in society, how many of us take the time to learn that history?

My Leadership Dallas Experience – The Retreat!

By: Vickie Yakunin, Manager, Community Relations, Time Warner Cable

One of the best decisions I have ever made was to move to Dallas three years ago. But, it wasn’t until about a year ago, that I realized that I wanted to make Dallas my new home, that this wasn’t going to be a city that I lived in for just a few years. I feel a connection to Dallas that is different from any other city that I have lived in…and, there were four other cities (Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Phoenix) that came before my move to Dallas! I have truly enjoyed spending the last few years getting to know Dallas…visiting the museums, attending shows at the Performing Arts Center, cheering on the Mavs & Stars, strolling through the farmers market, walking along the path at White Rock Lake, and discovering a new restaurant just about every week! I decided that really the next step in getting to know the city better was to get more involved! And, that’s when I applied to the Leadership Dallas program. I have a number of colleagues, friends and community partners who have participated and have shared insightful feedback about their experience. It was obvious that the program would offer exactly  what I wanted in a leadership development program – personal growth, the opportunity to engage with professionals who offer different perspectives, and certainly, the experience would offer a deeper understanding of the challenges the city faces and also the solutions that would help our city prosper and grow.  

Announcing the 38th Class of Leadership Dallas

By Amy Ramos, Managing Director, Communications

The Dallas Regional Chamber is proud to announce the 38th class of Leadership Dallas, the regions premier leadership development program.

“We are pleased to announce the 54 individuals who have been selected to join the Leadership Dallas class of 2013,” said Jim Oberwetter, president and CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber. “Each of the individuals joining the class have demonstrated a strong dedication to supporting the communities where they live and work, and a wide range of businesses, industries and experiences are represented. This diversity will help to provide a unique set of ideals and viewpoints to explore as the class develops a deeper understanding of the issues impacting our region and grows as leaders. We are excited about the impact these leaders will have in the future.”

Each year up to 55 individuals are selected to participate in the ten-month educational program designed to enable participants to develop their leadership capabilities while building strong relationships with fellow classmates.

“To Be or Not To Be” an LD Alumnus?

Lynne Mabry, Leadership Dallas Class of 2011

For me, that was not a question.  Upon graduation from Leadership Dallas in 2011, I joined the LD Alumni Association with my only exposure to and interest at the time being the annual Mayor’s Breakfast.  I expected to join and attend – that’s it.  As our class kept connected through monthly breakfast meetings, we showed up in great numbers as the “new grads” at the LD Alumni Annual Leadership Luncheon in the fall. 

Leadership Dallas Alumni Tour the new Parkland

By Julie Tanner, Director, Leadership

Leadership Dallas Alumni were among the first in the city to tour the new Parkland campus and hear from “the man with the plan”, Walter Jones, Jr., AIA, Sr. Vice President of Facilities Planning.   The hospital was approved in 2008 by 82% of the voters and is scheduled for completion in 2014 and is the largest hospital construction project in America. 

Leadership Dallas Class of 2012 Donates Time, Money to Vickery Meadow Learning Center

By Amy Ramos, Managing Director, Communications

A true leader isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, and the 2012 Class of Leadership Dallas is no exception.

The 2012 class raised $60,000, including $30,000 in donated goods and services, and contributed over 1,000 man-hours to make improvements to the Vickery Meadow Learning Center (VMLC) West Dallas campus for their annual class project, allowing the organization to better serve adults and children in an area where over 37 percent of the residents are below the poverty level.  The majority of the labor was done by the 54 class members

“Our Leadership Dallas class is eager to work for better education, quality of life, and the revitalization of Dallas’s less prosperous areas.  We could not have found a better crossroads for these issues than VMLC,” said Mitch Savage, the member of the 2012 class of Leadership Dallas who nominated VMLC for the annual class project.