Leadership Manhattan Beach Welcomes the Class of 2013

Leadership Manhattan Beach, now in its 20th year serving the community, held its annual Orientation at the Belamar Hotel on Monday, August 27th, welcoming in the Class of 2013 and it was great fun for new "students" and alumni alike.

This year's Class is comprised of twenty-eight "students" -- five students are teens from local High Schools, while the twenty-three adult students represent a diversity of professions and ages.  The Orientation evening provided them an opportunity to get to meet each other as well as get an overview of what they have gotten themselves into.  Meanwhile, over sixty-five alumni attended the event to show their support for the incoming class, including key officials from the city: the Mayor, Police Chief and City Manager, as well as numerous Chamber of Commerce leaders and City Commissioners.  Following this Orientation, the new class will embark on their nine-month long LMB journey beginning with a weekend retreat in mid-September.

The mission of Leadership Manhattan Beach is to develop and unite community leaders.  Every year, the organization offers a flagship nine-month-long leadership training program. During the program, students are introduced to various city-workings, community services and programs as they work collaboratively with twenty-five to thirty adults and high school students. The emphasis is on results and teamwork. The capstone to the class experience is the class project: doing something real to benefit the Manhattan Beach community.  Just a few examples of past class projects include last year's sustainable garden outside the Manhattan Beach Post Office, the Class of 2011's bike racks around town, and the Class of 2008's emergency preparedness kit.

Keep an eye on this space as I will chronicle the Class of 2013's progress and accomplishments throughout the next nine months. 

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about the Leadership Manhattan Beach program, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the right folks.

Kim Salzer

www.leadershipmb.org