Leadership Mendocino Gathers to Welcome Class XXI

Friday, August 23, 2013

Leadership Mendocino Class XXI off to Great Start

It was another lovely summer evening in Ukiah as the breeze blew just enough to keep everyone cool without causing chaos. As class members and their guests arrived at Ukiah Players Theatre, they were treated to a delicious spread of finger foods prepared by Kristin Myers of Potter Valley Cafe Catering and an array of beverages including donated wines from Fetzer Vineyards, Bonterra Vineyards and Little Black Dress. They were also asked to draw a slip of paper from a jar, not knowing that they were being given their first assignment as a Leadership Mendocino participant:  find the classmate who belongs to the fact on the paper. The mixing and mingling and laughter that followed gave way to new connections being formed and friendships being made. Ultimately each fact was matched to its appropriate class member, giving way to a round robin introduction of everyone which was one of the highlights of the evening.

"You will get out of it what you put into it."

That was the theme iterated by some of the guest alumni members who spoke to the group during the informational part of the evening. Lynn Dee Johnson (Class XX) urged the class members to pay particular attention to the thought and time they put into the Leadership Practices Inventory, a skills survey and workshop provided to each participant. Captain Randy Johnson (Class XIII) of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department shared that he still remains in contact with many of the friends he made during his Leadership Mendocino class. Other alumni in attendance included:  Event Coordinator Michelle Ebert (Class XX); Sheriff Tom Allman (Class X); Ed Bruce (Class XX); and Leadership Mendocino Steering Committee members Noreen Carnahan (Class I), Carolyn Welch (Class VII), Lucas Boek (Class XVI), and Richard Strom (Class XVIII).

As the event came to a close, another alumni member, Andrea Davis (Class XX and a certified California Naturalist) along with Hannah Bird of Friends of Low Gap Park, led some of the guests on a guided nature walk of Low Gap Park. As the sun was setting, walking the paths of the park seemed a perfect end to a fun, interactive event.

(Thank you Mindy Kittay and Richard Strom for sharing your pictures!)