Leadership Saint Paul™

Program Overview
Leadership Saint Paul (LSP) is a community leadership program that prepares, challenges and engages emerging and existing leaders to strengthen the Saint Paul/East Metro region. Leadership Saint Paul is the premier program of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation.  Since 1980, more than 1,200 graduates have been given the unique opportunity to:

 CONNECT with other leaders

• Meet people with a shared commitment to community,

• Build a diverse, long-term network, &

• Promote the organization they represent.

 CULTIVATE skills and knowledge

• Build their skills in leadership, communication and citizenship,

• Gain knowledge about challenges and issues facing the Saint Paul/East metro area &

• Explore the interrelationships of government, business and the broader community.

 CONTRIBUTE to the vitality of the Saint Paul/East metro area

• Help people who live in the communities they care about,

• Ensure the continued health and well being of the Saint Paul/East metro area, &

• Give back to Saint Paul/East metro area.

2008 Leadership Saint Paul Class

The Program

Leadership Saint Paul supports a vital, positive community, rich in engaged and well-informed leaders.  Each year, LSP selects 45 emerging and existing leaders from private, public, and nonprofit sectors of the community to participate in the ten-month program.  LSP curriculum is designed to raise awareness of the needs and challenges that affect the Saint Paul/East metro region and enhance individual leadership skills with a focus on community stewardship.  The program offers participants exceptional “insider” access by bringing in top-level business, civic, and government leaders to facilitate productive conversations around critical issues that influence our region.

 Curriculum Elements

•    Monthly Program Days: Day-long sessions, focusing on significant challenges facing the region such as community effectiveness, education, health care, regional economic development, and criminal justice.  Each program day strives to enlighten, inspire and transform participants by exposing them to a vast array of perspectives, resources and mentors.  Program Days are always the second Thursday of the month. 
   

•    Retreat: Two-day retreat held in February, which focuses on developing personal and civic leadership skills, including teambuilding and community stewardship.
   

•    Community Projects:   Each participant will form a team with 4 to 6 classmates and partner with a nonprofit on a community service project to apply what they are learning and gain experiential knowledge in community stewardship.  Recent service projects include: an award-winning Financial Literacy Service Project for Lifetrack Resources (winner of the 2006 Minneapolis/Saint Paul Magazine's Standing Ovation Award), the development of a charter school’s library, creation of a girls’ leadership camp, and beautifying a business strip. 

Dates for Class of 2009:  January 2009 to October 2009.  Leadership Saint Paul meets the second Thursday of each month from January to October for a full-day, with the exception of one overnight retreat tentatively scheduled for February 15-16.  

Corporate Internal Processes:  Some corporations have an internal application process for selecting applicants from their organizations. If you work for a large organization please check with your employer before submitting an application.

Financial assistance:  Some financial assistance is available for individuals who are self-employed, or employed by the nonprofit or public sector, and would otherwise be unable to participate.  Specific scholarships are available for individuals from the Hmong and Somali communities and a small business owner who lives and works in Saint Paul.  A scholarship application will be provided to you upon request.  Please contact Beth Albrecht at 651.265.2767 or elizabeth@saintpaulchamber.com.

Selection Process:  Each Leadership Saint Paul class is selected through a competitive process conducted by a screening and selection committee.  Forty-five individuals are chosen each year based on strong criteria including: a commitment to civic involvement and to the Saint Paul/East Metro region, the potential for community leadership, and an individual’s professional as well as personal achievement.  Candidates must have the full support of the organization they represent to be considered.

Application Process:  Anyone in the metro area can apply to Leadership Saint Paul.  The application process consists of a written application and face-to-face interview.  If you know of a candidate who would be a valued participant, please refer them to the program.  The application deadline for the Class of 2009 is September 15, 2008.  In the meantime, if you have any questions about the program, please contact Beth Albrecht at 651.265.2767 or elizabeth@saintpaulchamber.com.

Tuition for Class of 2009: $1,800 for Chamber members.

Leadership Saint Paul Application
 

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LSP Testimonials:
 “Not only does the Leadership Saint Paul program expose you to a wide variety of issues, but it also encourages you to accept the obligation and responsibility to not only understand those issues but be an active participant in resolving them.”
~ Mee Moua, Minnesota Senator

 “I have the chance to work with many of the people from my Leadership Saint Paul class and from other classes in a variety of different venues – from truancy initiatives with Saint Paul schools to STAR grants with members of the Chamber to working on diversity issues in downtown. All of those projects have been facilitated through contacts I’ve had and developed over the years out of Leadership Saint Paul.”
~ John Harrington, Saint Paul Police Chief

“Leadership Saint Paul is one of those important processes helping people to connect, articulate what their community is and allowing folks to dream about where they are going together.”
~  Carlos Mariani, Minnesota State Representative

“I’ve met diverse and talented people.  I’ve been challenged to engage in a dialogue on important issues concerning Saint Paul’s future.  LSP grows leaders from the inside by giving us exceptional peer relationships and top notch programming.”
~ Bonnie Alton, Great Harvest Bread Co.

“Ours was an incredible experience!  Thank you for making this marvelous opportunity available to service organizations like Meals on Wheels.  The LSP Community Project is an excellent way to connect business and the service communities.  It helps both to understand the other!” 
~Joyce Reinke, Metro Meals on Wheels (LSP Community Project partner from the Class of 2006-2007)

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Staff contact:  Please contact Beth Albrecht, Manager of Education, for more information at
Elizabeth@saintpaulchamber.com or 651-265-2767

Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce
401 North Robert Street, Suite 150
Saint Paul, MN  55101