Dear LT Community:

It has been a wonderful first three months at LT for me. Each day, I connect with more alumni who tell me their LT stories. They talk about the friendships that were sparked that continue to this day. They tell me about the amazing work they do to make our region better. And they tell me about their "aha" moments about leadership. These are the types of inspiring stories we will feature over the coming weeks as we lead up to our 40th anniversary celebration.

Our 40th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, June 18 is the perfect place to swap stories and reconnect with your LT colleagues. Join us as we welcome the LT Class of 2024 into our vibrant community and reminisce about the milestones that have shaped us over four decades. 

We also will ask for your support to invest in LT’s future and ensure we continue to thrive for the next 40 years and beyond. I hope you will not only join me there in person, but also tag, ping, text, and call your LT friends and encourage them to join you! Your first drink is on me!

With gratitude,

Bindiya Patel

Executive Director

Darrow Brown, LT'24, Washington State Department of Health

How has LT influenced your approach to leadership?

One takeaway from my experience of Leadership Tomorrow is a reminder that I – by far – am not the smartest person in the room. LT'24 is a collection of passionate, committed, and brilliant humans. This reminder has been instrumental in how I convene, facilitate, and lead. I am not the best and brightest, and I don’t have to be.  

How has your experience in LT contributed to your understanding of the region’s challenges and opportunities? 

Having moved from Baltimore, MD in 2018, I still consider myself new to the area. Prior to LT, my understanding and navigation of the region had mainly been around the edges and from a 30,000-foot view. LT has provided the opportunity to move from the edges toward the center and zoom in…and empathize. From a human-centered design perspective, empathy – the first of five design stages – is key in designing solutions that attend to the needs of those affected by the challenges. I feel more prepared and excited to engage in this region now that I have this deeper understanding.

Why do you think LT is important in 2024 and for the next 40 years? 

I think LT and similar organizations are the antidote for chronic individualism. Accumulation. Success. Wealth. Power. These are shiny and intoxicating things, but they don’t necessarily contribute to the common good. What I appreciate about LT is the intentional and ongoing focus on the collective. It’s hard to imagine fostering needed changes to systems and structures if we rely on any one individual to move things in a positive direction. 

Have you experienced any unexpected benefits from the program?

Is this question a plant? Did Shomari Jones put this question here?! Is he trying to make me cry again? (Readers, please read those last two sentences with a tone of humorous suspicion for the full effect!)

One of my favorite people, Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, has spoken and written extensively about what he considers the epidemic of loneliness, isolation, and lack of social connections in and amongst people in the U.S. Since my 2018 move from the mid-Atlantic, where I had been for 25 years and where I had been a member of several lively communities, I have openly acknowledged that I am one of the statistics Vivek Murthy talks about. I made this acknowledgment upon my arrival at LT'24 in September 2023. For me, it was a time of deep loneliness and increasing regret about my choice to move across the country.

Like collectivism can be the antidote to rampant individualism, Leadership Tomorrow has been the antidote to my loneliness. Yes, LT helps leaders develop the awareness, skills, and competencies to be better equity-focused leaders. It also helps cohort members make connections and develop meaningful, hopefully lasting relationships. The former was expected. The latter is a complete and very welcome surprise.

Sarah Hagan, LT'24, Smartsheet

How has LT influenced your approach to leadership?

LT’s focus on collective leadership shifted my perspective of leadership from “leader-led” to “leader-cultivated.” In other words, moving from a top-down model to an environment where individuals can lean in based on their strengths. As someone with positional power at work, how can I foster a work environment such that everyone can share their perspective of the work we’re doing? How can I ensure that the quiet voices are heard? How can we work together to change the norms of traditional leadership so we are the change we wish to see in the workplace? 

How has your experience in LT contributed to your understanding of the region’s challenges and opportunities? 

It’s easy to perceive the greater Seattle area’s problems with a lens of what the media shows, but most of the time, that lens is shaped without the experiences of those most affected. LT highlighted where some of the region’s opportunities could be strengthened if we listen to those most affected in combination with what the data is telling us, and how to account for lived experience in broader action planning.

Why do you think LT is important in 2024 and for the next 40 years? 

LT is the first time I have been surrounded by individuals who are all trying to make this region a better place. While originally anticipating a “doom and gloom” environment, I have been overwhelmingly impressed with every individual—across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors—trying to make the Puget Sound region a better place through community stewardship. While we have a long way to go, LT members from the past, present, and future will continue to help our region change with dedication and a positive mindset.

Have you experienced any unexpected benefits from the program?

While I knew LT is a cohort-based program, I was delightfully surprised at how cohesive our cohort became, almost immediately. Belonging is an LT value, and starting with the first retreat, I immediately felt the interconnectedness of our group and commitment to each other’s well-being that has persisted throughout the year. I look forward to maintaining my connections with some of the greatest humans I’ve been blessed to meet. 

For 40 years, Leadership Tomorrow has worked at the forefront of civic engagement to cultivate a network of inclusive, courageous, and curious leaders across Puget Sound. As we mark this significant milestone, please join us on June 18 in honoring our past, celebrating our present, and envisioning our future.

When: Tuesday, June 18, 2024, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Who: You all! Our alumni, current class, LT supporters, honorary LT, and guests

Where: Victory Hall at The Boxyard (1201 1st Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134)

Tickets: $25-$75

P.S. If you have photos from your LT experience over the past 40 years, please email them to Megan so she can add them to the event slideshow!

Be Part of GiveBIG on May 7-8

Engaged leadership is the foundation of thriving communities.

As part of our 40th anniversary celebration, we are aiming to rally our community to raise $40,000 before the June 18 event. Help us reach our goal by making a gift during GiveBIG.

With your support, we'll equip the leaders of our region with the essential skills, knowledge, and networks required to work collectively toward a more resilient and equitable region. Additionally, your contributions during our 40th anniversary will fuel our future endeavors. We're committed to designing new programming that responds to community needs and feedback, ensuring sustained growth and impact.

Read the updates below to see how people in our community are growing in their careers and fostering changes to make our region a place where people from all communities and identities thrive. If you have an update you would like to share with the LT community, email Megan.

Honorary LT: Former LT Curriculum Committee member, Cecil Brim, passed recently from Parkinsons Disease in Los Angeles.

LT'04: Kelly Ogilvie started a new position as Chief Executive Officer at Hoshi Sora.

LT'11: Monisha Harrell was named Director, Office of Equity, Race and Social Justice at King County.

LT'12: RaShelle Davis was appointed to lead the Office of Administrative Hearings. She also had a baby girl, her first, in December.

LT'13: Phillip Sit was promoted to Director of Small Business Navigation at Seattle Office of Economic Development.

LT'14: Chris Elwell was promoted to Executive Director - Labor Relations at Sound Transit.

LT'15: Stephen Ejide was promoted to Director, Organizational Strategy, Planning, and Enablement in Finance Operations at Microsoft.

LT'14: Tyler Mjelde started a new position as Project Executive at AECOM Hunt.

LT'15: Lavina Sadhwani was promoted to Principal at Seneca Group.

LT'15: Maya Yamazaki was named Co-Practice Group Chair of the TCPS group at Davis Wright Tremaine, responsible for leading the Technology section.

LT'16: Toka Valu's collaborative mural, "Return on Investments," is now installed along the northern end of KCIA next to Ruby Chow park. Learn more here.

LT'17: Svea Stromme is heading to South Africa for her international post with ISAID.

LT'17 and LT'18: The Puget Sound Business Journal recently released its 2024 “40 Under 40” list of young professionals leading the way in law, business, education and nonprofit sectors, among others. LT alumni featured in this year's list include Elizabeth Mendoza, LT'17, and Shkelqim Kelmendi, LT'18.

LT'17: Ben Johns self-published his first book, Rogue For Peace, a fast-paced thrilled that's set in the modern era and full of suspense.

LT'17: John Meyer's second book, Between the Tides in California, was recently released. The book is for anyone who is curious about the sea and is chock-full of photos and places to see cool creatures.

LT'18: Evan Bennett was promoted to Principal Consultant at Plative.

LT'18: Nick Diede was promoted to Principal at Seneca Group.

LT'19: Greg Mukai was promoted to Customer Relations Deputy Assistant Director at Washington State Department of Licensing.

LT'20: Kate Corcoran started a new position as Senior Director of Operations at ConcertoCare.

LT'20: Kathlyn Kocher Paananen is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader at International School of Beijing, China. She also recently completed her Master's in Race, Education, and Decolonial Thought at Leeds Beckett University. 

LT'22: Blair Greenberg was promoted to Principal at Seneca Group.

LT'23: Antje Helfrich started a new position as Senior Consultant at Forum Solutions LLC.

LT'24: Sarah Clark was appointed to the Seattle School Board of Directors. Learn more here.

LT'24: Jerrod Gonzales started a new position as District School Leader at Bezos Academy.

LT'24: John Henry was promoted to Deputy CEO, Chief Finance and Administration Officer at Sound Transit.

LT'24: Cindil Redick-Ponte was promoted to Community Health Improvement and Linkages Section Manager in the Office of Family and Community Health Improvement at Washington State Department of Health.