Join the Ranks of Bakersfield's Top Community Leaders

Goals
• Identify and motivate existing and potential community leaders.
• Acquaint these individuals with community needs and problems while offering alternatives for dealing with these.
• Provide a forum to meet with and be challenged by current community leaders to expand community involvement.

The Program
Once a month, from September through June, participants attend an all-day seminar in which important community issues are reviewed and discussed. The format of each seminar includes a combination of lectures, panel discussions and hands-on visits to locales relevant to the day’s theme.

The Curriculum
Leadership Bakersfield focuses on developing and enhancing leadership skills plus providing exposure to a wide range of community issues, including: Agriculture; Arts and Culture; Criminal Justice; Education; Health and Human Services; Leadership; Media; Energy; and Government.

Class Projects
Working with a small group of Leadership Bakersfield classmates, program participants select and complete a class project. In addition to offering a window of opportunity for ongoing community involvement, these projects also provide a setting in which class members can work closely together toward a common goal. Time is set aside at the end of the year for each group to share the results of their project with the rest of the class.

Application
Recruitment begins April 1, 2013.

Selection Criteria
Demonstrated leadership potential; Personal commitment to community service; Willingness on the part of the applicant and his/her employer to devote the required time; Must reside or work in Kern County.

Finalists
Finalists will be selected and interviewed based on application materials submitted.
All interviews will be conducted by a selection committee.

For more information about Leadership Bakersfield contact Tonya Sterling at (661) 327-4421 or email tsterling@bakersfieldchamber.org.