Sentinel staff report–
Those interested in learning how local government works and developing more leadership and management skills may be interested in applying for this year’s Leadership Citrus Heights course, offered by the local Chamber of Commerce.
Cendrinne DeMattei, the chamber’s executive director, told The Sentinel in an email that the program seeks to provide a “meaningful and challenging learning opportunity that will help participants develop personal leadership skills, gain a better understanding of how the City functions, and expand [their] circle of influence within the region.”
Past graduates of the program can be found in various positions of leadership throughout the city, with notable grads including the city’s current Mayor, Steve Miller, Councilman Albert Fox, and Planning Commissioner Porsche Middleton.
Meeting once a month from October through June, the course promises to take aspiring leaders through an inside look at various aspects of government, along with a crash course in the history of Citrus Heights, public speaking, entrepreneurship, and more. A draft schedule on the Chamber’s website lists the following topics:
- The history and economic development of Citrus Heights
- The art of nonprofits
- Local and state government
- Education
- Productive YOU (with skills including goal setting and time/project management)
- Law & public safety (with the Citrus Heights Police Department and Metro Fire)
- Effective Leadership
- Group Project Presentations (honing in on public speaking skills)
The course will also wrap up with a bus tour of the city and a graduation.
Mayor Miller previously told The Sentinel that taking the Leadership Citrus Heights course in its inaugural year back in 2003 “lit a fire” under him. He said the course helps develop personal, professional, social and city-wide leadership skills — and it likely played a role in helping him get appointed to the city council in 2005.
The course was first brought to the city under the leadership of Jeannie Bruins, who currently serves as the city’s vice mayor. The course continued annually until around 2012, and was later re-started in 2016 under the leadership of both Bruins and the late-councilman Mel Turner.
“It mattered because we saw some really solid leaders come out of this,” Bruins said in a prior interview. “It piques interest and helps people understand why things are the way they are.”
Tuition for the course costs $495 per person, and classes are typically up to 25 students in size. Scholarships are typically offered for one high school student from each high school in Citrus Heights.
Classes are scheduled to begin in October and will continue on the first Wednesday of each month, concluding with a June 5 graduation next year, according to the Chamber’s website. Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with meals included. The deadline to apply is Sept. 7, 2018.
Additional information and applications forms are available on the Chamber’s website.
