Alumni
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Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Great Lakes Leadership Academy Graduation Gala and Alumni Appreciation event.
This special occasion marks the formal graduation of our Leadership Advancement Program participants. Witness the inspiring journey of this cohort as they share their personal stories and experiences in the program.
The evening will feature the prestigious William Milliken Leader for the Common Good Award and celebrate our key partners, sponsors, volunteers, and alumni. Connect and network while enjoying appetizers and drinks before our seated dinner event. Discover exciting new alumni engagement opportunities for 2025 and explore ways to stay connected with our vibrant leadership network. The festivities continue with an after-party featuring delectable desserts and dancing.
Don’t miss this chance to honor our graduates, reconnect with fellow alumni, and celebrate the spirit of leadership for the common good. We look forward to seeing you there! Cocktail attire encouraged.
Guest Registration Rates:
Early Registration: $25 through January 5, 2025
Regular Registration: $35 through January 24, 2025
We are pleased to announce the GLLA Alumni “Making Waves” outreach campaign. The campaign features alumni and positive testimonials highlighting how GLLA enabled them to lead for the common good and why they would recommend GLLA to others. Each year, alumni will be shown in a spotlight. You can read more about this year's featured alumni below.
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In what ways did the Great Lakes Leadership Academy lessons and experiences enable you to have a greater impact as a leader?
GLLA was a transformative experience for me as a leader. Before joining my LAP cohort, I saw policy issues from a narrow viewpoint. My colleagues in GLLA helped me see dynamic and different perspectives that helped me grow and evolve as a leader. I could see how my stakeholder's view fit into a larger equation of many different viewpoints. This really helped me when I moved to Washington DC as a White House fellow!
Share a specific example of something you were uniquely able to do or occurred because of GLLA.
GLLA helped me focus on finding common ground that matters to everyone, no matter what side of the isle you sit on. Common ground allows us move forward as a society - for the better. Before joining GLLA, I had this mindset that one stakeholder group could be right and the rest were wrong. After my LAP experience, and all of the rich conversations we had together, I realized that collaboration to find a shared vision is what unites us. This is the kind of work we need to see happening across the nation more often.
What would you tell a prospective applicant to inspire them to apply to GLLA?
We are all connected. The more time you spend with people who work on different policy and political issues from various viewpoints, the more you grow as a leader. Our cohort trip to China was absolutely transformative for me to understand how policies are created on an international level. It wasn't just the international perspective - it was also having an opportunity to travel to and visit other people's cities across Michigan. All of this travel helped me gain new and vital perspectives! We need more leaders who can look beyond one point of view and connect the dots for the greater whole. I loved learning from my cohort. I hadn't joined the cohort, I probably would not have given myself the space and time to grow. I would not trade the experience for the world. My GLLA colleagues will always be near and dear to my heart (and work).
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In what ways did the Great Lakes Leadership Academy lessons and experiences enable you to have a greater impact as a leader?
The lessons and experiences enabled me to have a greater impact as a leader because it helped me to do personal check-ins to make sure I was bringing my best self to work daily.
Share a specific example of something you were uniquely able to do or occurred because of GLLA.
GLLA taught me that everyone on my team could be a leader. (Leading from any chair). This in turn helped me to empower each of my team members to embrace the natural leader inside of them. The morale and confidence boost are amazing.
What would you tell a prospective applicant to inspire them to apply to GLLA?
I would tell a prospective applicant that if they really want to get know what they are made of to participate in GLLA. It takes you out of your comfort zone and challenges you in a great ways and that you definitely will leave the program with a different outlook in every area of your life.
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In what ways did the Great Lakes Leadership Academy lessons and experiences enable you to have a greater impact as a leader?
GLLA opened my mind, expanded my horizons and changed my leadership style from an ego-based leadership to a thought or emotional intelligence style of leadership. GLLA did this by placing me out of my comfort zone with a lot of amazing people that challenged me to be a better person and leader. Trust the process. Believe in your team members.
Share a specific example of something you were uniquely able to do or occurred because of GLLA?
I don’t believe there is a specific example, it was a personal transformation, challenging who you are now to who I really wanted to be but had no idea how to get there. The transformation even impacted those around me, family and friends who may not have understood the extent of change or even felt left behind.
What would you tell a prospective applicant to inspire them to apply to GLLA?
To apply!
In what ways did the Great Lakes Leadership Academy lessons and experiences enable you to have a greater impact as a leader?
Participating in the GLLA program was a truly unique experience that allowed me to gain profound insights into my personality and how others perceive me. It provided me with a platform to explore my purpose and motivations and to bring positivity to the spaces I inhabit. The program helped me identify my core values and develop a deeper understanding of how I can inspire others to be authentic and true to themselves.
Share a specific example of something you were uniquely able to do or occurred because of GLLA?
My experiences at GLLA helped me during the difficult situations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm privileged to work for farmworkers and their families interested in obtaining their high school equivalency through the GED diploma. Our online program guides them through the process, ensuring they're well-prepared and inspired to achieve their dreams after earning their diploma, diving into new systems for upward mobility and community involvement.
Our students (or their family members) are essential and frontline workers. During the pandemic, they received conflicting information at the workplace, different from what was being disseminated via government guidelines. As the program leader in Michigan, I had to make quick and thoughtful decisions about the safety of our students and use our voices as a program to ensure that our students and other frontline workers were safe in the workplace.
Our program is fortunate to be known by many people, including those closer to government officials. We were able to hold town hall meetings to ensure our student voices were heard. We also brought experts in the community who could talk about workers' rights and create a safe space for student voices. Our students continued attending the online meetings through COVID-19 as it was a safe space to talk about their concerns and uplift each other.
Thanks to GLLA, I could think quickly about how different systems were being affected, starting with our students and working up the food chain that feeds the state and country. I don't think I would have had the courage or felt as prepared to organize these town hall meetings and get those of influence to help the group through this complicated situation.
What would you tell a prospective applicant to inspire them to apply to GLLA?
The GLLA program was not just a learning experience but a transformative journey that has significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth. I would highly recommend it to anyone eager to embark on a path of self-discovery and understand the profound impact they can make on the world around them.
In what ways did the Great Lakes Leadership Academy lessons and experiences enable you to have a greater impact as a leader?
The Emerging Leaders program (2010) of GLLA changed my trajectory. I became more curious and determined to continue learning about myself, how to build strong teams, and how to develop processes where people feel valued and engaged. It also really highlighted that leadership is about me. It’s about how I show up and how I interact and react to others. It really set the foundation for me to be a life-long student of leadership.
Share a specific example of something you were uniquely able to do or occurred because of GLLA?
I have trouble answering this question - there was so much! For the first few years after I went through GLLA (seriously!), I pulled out my binder of information at least twice a year to review ideas and tools I had mastered, and which new ones I might try on. I learned a great deal about creating an atmosphere to allow people to bring their ideas to the table. And I learned more about myself, which allowed me to slow down and make space for others. What I gained at GLLA immediately translated into more productive meetings, resulting in better and longer-lasting outcomes.
What would you tell a prospective applicant to inspire them to apply to GLLA?
Apply! If you are truly interested in giving yourself the time and space to grow your leadership skills, this program will support you. It will give you a community to lean on and learn from. Leadership isn’t a position, it’s an approach. And it’s a practice. The Great Lakes Leadership Academy gives you a safe space to practice and deepen your leadership.
In what ways did the Great Lakes Leadership Academy lessons and experiences enable you to have a greater impact as a leader?
My participation in the GLLA was insightful in understanding more about myself, my leadership style and challenged me to consistently work to always grow as a leader. Working through the lessons, I developed a sincere understanding and appreciation of common goals, shared amongst a team with one vision. The Connections and friendships that have resulted from my time with the GLLA are powerful and lasting.
Share a specific example of something you were uniquely able to do or occurred because of GLLA?
As a result of participating in the GLLA, I was prepared for an opportunity that would end up being a memorable time in my professional career. I was selected as the USDA NRCS Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Program Manager, working in Washington, D.C. where I would work with all the Great Lakes States. During this time, I worked and partnered with a total of 16 Federal Agencies, Canadian officials, and various local and state partners. I feel that GLLA was instrumental in my preparation to undertake such a significant role and in finding success throughout.
What would you tell a prospective applicant to inspire them to apply to GLLA?
The impact of attending the GLLA is beyond measure. The potential to learn, grow and better yourself is boundless. If selected, you will find yourself challenged in meaningful ways that will result in better leadership, time management and self-awareness. Other impactful areas of improvement are often the intangibles like understanding the importance of partnerships or automatically incorporating wellness and emotional intelligence into your leadership style. I would challenge anyone who is considering this opportunity, just do it, you will not regret it.
Staying Connected:
Have you changed jobs or moved since graduating from GLLA? Would you like to opt in and receive communication from GLLA? Keep your information up-to-date by completing our GLLA Alumni Contact Information Survey.
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