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Community Aug 23, 2019
Dr. Sarah Smith Orr, Honorary Event Chair. – Courtesy photo / LP
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Dr. Sarah Smith Orr, Honorary Event Chair. – Courtesy photo / LP
Leadership Pasadena will celebrate its 20th anniversary at a luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 12 at the beautiful Caltech Athenaeum. Dr. Sarah Smith Orr, the founding chair of Leadership Pasadena and a nationally known expert on leadership development, will give a presentation and interact with four prominent leaders from Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area. The event is being co-sponsored by the Caltech Y.
Leadership Pasadena is a leadership development program that introduces participants to many aspects of the Pasadena community, and builds an understanding of how individuals can help create a vibrant Pasadena.
Leadership Pasadena Board Chair Josh Driskell stated: “Our gratitude to Gold Sponsors Huntington Hospital and Southern California Gas Company and Table Sponsors Bill and Claire Bogaard, Julia Gouw, Morris & Berger, Pasadena Fire Department, Dr. Sarah Smith Orr, Nancy Baxter and Hilary Clark, The City of Pasadena and The Sterling Group for their generous support of this luncheon.”
Dr. Orr said that leaders must be developed and nurtured to prepare them to be actively involved in shaping the life of a community. “Leadership must emerge from the community stakeholders so there is a sense of shared ownership for the future of the city. The success of a community cannot be left to chance; success will come by growing a broad base of leaders who have a deep sense of responsibility for caring for and influencing the life of our city.”
Dr. Orr will lead a dialogue among four people who bring leadership perspectives from which all can all learn. The panel will be exploring how to support leadership development and expand the spirit of community through Leadership Pasadena. The panel members are:
- Jean Lipman-Blumen, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Director Connective Leadership Institute, Thornton F. Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Organizational Behavior, Emerita Peter F. Drucker/Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University.
- Phlunte’ Riddle, Psy.D, Phlunte’ Riddle & Associates and Director of External Affairs for California Assemblymember Chris Holden.
- Sarah Smith Orr, Ph.D., Smith Orr & Associates and Teaching Faculty UCLA Extension & University of Nevada, Reno.
- Deacon Manuel Valencia, Associate Retreat Director, Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center.
- Paul Vandeventer, President & Chief Executive Officer, Community Partners.
The Honorary Committee that enthusiastically signed on to support the event, includes many of the early supporters and leaders of Leadership Pasadena: Dr. Sarah Smith Orr as Honorary Event Chair, Honorary Committee Co-Chairs Phil Hawkey and Deb Raupp along with Committee members Greg Apodaca, Bill Bogaard, Nancy Baxter, Dr. Athena Castro, Ken Chawkins, Tom Coston, Josh Driskell, Dr. Gerda Govine, Mic Hansen, Cynthia Kurtz, Bernard Melekian, Ibrahim Naeem, Steve Ralph, Catherine Reeves, Dr. Phlunte Riddle, Psy.D., Hunt Salembier, Dr. Gordon K. Squires and Deacon Manuel Valencia.
Leadership Pasadena Executive Director Cindy Bengtson expressed that this event “is the perfect way to recognize Leadership Pasadena’s 20 years of community leadership development and community service. We want to thank these individuals for creating Leadership Pasadena and to create momentum to strengthen the future of Leadership Pasadena.”
Proceeds of the luncheon will launch the new “Look to the Stars” scholarship fund in honor of Leadership Pasadena alumni and astrophysicist Dr. Gordon K. Squires (LP ’08) and family to provide financial access for motivated individuals to participate in the Leadership Pasadena community leadership development program.
