Leadership San Juan Islands Holds Virtual Community Seminars

By Katherine Bryant Ingman, program director, Leadership San Juan Islands

The Leadership San Juan Islands 2021 community seminars will begin on Jan. 29.

Three informational community seminars will be held virtually for our island community throughout the first half of 2021. The public is welcome to these free community seminars. Visit www.lsji.org for more information and to register.

Leadership San Juan Islands seeks to keep the study and spirit of leadership alive in 2021 even as we bend and flex to the many difficult challenges amid the current pandemic. These “lunch and learn” events bring together community leaders, nonprofit managers, county officials and island citizens to seek creative and resourceful ways to serve and lead as we continue to be islanders concerned with service above self and leadership when times are tough.

Whether you are interested in attending LSJI community seminars or have a friend who might be, you are welcome to attend or pass on the information.

Gretchen Krampf will moderate “Leadership and Food Security” from noon-1:15 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29, via Zoom.

The featured speakers are:

• Amanda Sparks, Manager, Orcas Island Food Bank
• Rachelle Radonski, Manager, Friday Harbor Food Bank
• Sarah Pope, Manager, San Juan Islands Food Hub
• Julie Meyers, Director, Meals on Wheels and More, Whatcom Council on Aging
• Katherine Bryant Ingman, Manager, Lopez Food Share

Leadership San Juan Islands is a county-wide tuition-based program designed to educate and motivate community members interested in developing their professional leadership skills and to facilitate their learning about issues affecting San Juan County.

On April 30, 2004, a handful of civic-minded islanders gathered to found a program that would increase our community’s ability to govern itself as it responds to 21st-century opportunities and challenges. Modeling the course after leadership programs offered throughout the country, the founders established Leadership San Juan Islands with the ambitious goal of ensuring that “the future of the islands will be decided in the islands.”

Each year, a cohort of about 15 graduates completes a professional development program comprising 11
days across Orcas, Lopez, and San Juan Islands, studying the government, ecology, economics, arts,
history, and social services of the Islands. Students develop their leadership and public speaking skills and
delve into some of the important issues facing our island archipelago. Students also earn course credit with
Skagit Valley College.
For more information about how to get involved with LSJI, visit www.lsji.org.

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