SGV Vets Can Now Apply for Leadership Pasadena’s Leadership Course

This is a course designed specifically for veterans. – Courtesy photo / LP

Leadership Pasadena (LP) is accepting applications for the Community Leadership Course for Veterans™ (CLCV™) beginning on May 6, 2019. This course fills a gap in current military to civilian transitional programs for veterans. The course does not duplicate any existing programs but compliments and supplements the many re-entry and transitional programs in place.

This six-month strength-based community leadership course is for military veterans (including National Guard and all Reserves) who have achieved a rank of E4 or higher, now living, working or studying in the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) to effectively transition them into their new civilian lives through community leadership and business relationships.

Veterans who have returned from active duty within the last seven years are eligible to learn more and apply here by April 15.

Through this course, veterans will learn to re-mission their leadership talent to thrive in the civilian world. Whether they want to secure a corporate job, start or join a non-profit, go back to school or start their own business, the course will explore the civilian leadership culture and build connections with community and business leaders. LP is committed to providing veterans with greater access to all aspects of the community and help them re-purpose their military experience to become leaders who make an impact for good in the civilian world.

“Why does Leadership Pasadena offer this course? Leadership Pasadena’s mission is to create empowered, informed and inspired leaders for the community and our military veterans are a huge untapped source of proven leaders! But different populations take different paths to leadership and our military heroes benefit from a specialized course focused on understanding and adapting to the civilian work, social and community culture,” according Leadership Pasadena’s Cindy Bengtson. “We are honored to provide this new course for our veterans to help them serve and lead again through community service to the San Gabriel Valley.”

LP partnered with Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc. to bring their nationally award winning Community Leadership Course for Veterans™ (CLCV™) to the SGV in 2018 and completed the first successful course in September 2018.

– Courtesy photo / LP

Some things participants said about the 2018 course:

• “What stood out to me was the networks made, the valuable insight in the classes that were given to us. It was so much info that it will take me a while to go over it, reflect, reconnect with the contact info I have, establish interviews and build up my resumes.”
• “I learned about repackaging myself as a person, a veteran. Understanding how valuable we are, and how important it is to find your brand.”
• “The course was fantastic. Educational, fun, and enriching. I enjoyed the people, topics, discussions, and networking. The most important takeaway was the emphasis on empowerment. Everything centered upon empowering veterans to succeed in the community.”
• “There was authenticity and genuineness to this program that I found very valuable. I think there was a genuine interest of the speakers to offer information to a unique cohort of people who have served our country.”
• “As a veteran [it] is easy to get caught up in the ‘we’ mentality. This course helped me understand the value of ‘I’ without being selfish.”

This course will cover personal leadership in the civilian world, science and tech in the region, the corporate landscape, networks and power of conversation, business culture and organizational savvy, government and political process, art and the business of entertainment, multi-generational leadership, community leadership skills and more. Optional workshops on financial literacy and communications will also be offered.

The course is offered to veterans for $300 as LP will fundraise to pay the remaining tuition needed. If needed, scholarships will be made available. “Finances will not be a barrier to participating. We will provide any financial assistance needed,” according to LP’s Veterans Services Consultant Lisa Raggio.

Companies interested in sponsoring a session, providing a scholarship for a veteran or enrolling one of their own employees, should contact Cindy Bengtson at info@leadershippasadena.org. Veterans interested in the course should also contact Cindy Bengtson at info@leadershippasadena.org.