The League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles’ Leadership Academy has been developed to enhance and increase civic engagement leadership skills.
In five courses, you will learn to optimize your leadership effectiveness in conducting advocacy, facilitation, performing legislative interviews, public speaking, and educating voters. These skills are useful to current and prospective League members who may also be involved in other community activities like PTA, your local Neighborhood Council, committee at your place of worship, on the job, or other social activities.
Leadership Academy Courses
Our democracy must not be taken for granted. The Leadership Academy provides the skills to be engaged in our democratic process in a nonpartisan way to tackle many League issues like homelessness, criminal justice reform, redistricting, voting rights and more.
Active civic involvement is the way to preserve our democracy. Whether you are a veteran LWV member who wants to refresh your skills and practices or a potential LWV member who wants to gain new skills and practices, all are invited to register. Much of what you'll learn is transferable to other aspects of your life.
Leadership lessons 100 years in the making, the Leadership Academy supports leadership for the next century.
Facilitation
In this class, you will learn facilitation skills and task, dialogue preparation, managing group dynamics, how to work with issues, dialogue preparation, and more to make you a great facilitator!
Date: Wednesday, September 29
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Facilitators:
Tamela Takahashi is a longtime non-profit and community volunteer leader, serving as a Glendale/Burbank League of Women Voters board member, the Burbank Civic Pride Committee vice-chair, and a community organizer. Currently, Tamala works as a community engagement strategist for small non-profits and businesses, and is also an educator, writer, and artist. She was also the first woman in the family to earn a college degree.
Legislative Interviews
In this class, you will learn how to coordinate interviews with legislators’ staff, communicate with and delegate interviewer responsibilities, how to conduct legislator research, and how to communicate the League's mission, vision, and positions.
Date: Wednesday, October 6
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Facilitators:
Ann Rushton is a graduate of Stanford and UCLA Law, she spent twenty years working with the Environmental Section at the California Attorney General's Office, on cases ranging from pollutants to Superfund and the California Climate Quality Act. Before, she put in eight years with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, handling acquisitions of parklands and open space, including Fryman Canyon, Solstice Canyon, Circle X Ranch, and Paramount Ranch. Since retiring, she has been volunteering with the Citizens Climate Lobby and in many capacities with the Los Angeles League, including on our Board and our Climate Committee.
Speaker Presenter
In this class, you will learn the mission of the League, key presentation skills, how to manage your audience, how to use different applications to communicate your message, and how to represent the League.
Date: Wednesday, October 13
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Facilitators:
Marilu Guevara has almost 20 years of experience working in civic engagement and empowering communities as a promoter of higher education and voter resources. Currently serves on the Action Civics L.A. Partners Board, is a member of the Los Angeles County Community & Voter Outreach Committee and is First Vice President on the LWV Los Angeles County board of directors. Has vast experience presenting state, county and city LWV pros and cons.
Fran Lapides joined the LWV when her kids were younger in Illinois. She was on the board there for two years. When she moved to California, she went back to teaching full-time and raising a family. Fran taught history and government for 25 years here. She has been part of the LWV Speakers Bureau since she joined the LA League and served on the board for 8 years. She has served as Co-Voter Service Chair for many years.
Voter Services
In this class, you will learn how to register voters, understand how to explain the voting process in LA County, articulate League policy, and learn how to coordinate and run a candidate forum.
Date: Wednesday, October 20
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Facilitators:
Joan Hardie works as a registered nurse at California Hospital Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles, and is a member of the American Nurses Association. She has also been a President and Board member with the Glendale/Burbank League. A seasoned legislative interviewer, she has coordinated candidate forums ranging from Burbank City Council races all the way to California state legislature and U.S. congressional contests.
Margo Reeg, member of the League of Women Voters for over 50 years. Margo has held Whittier League offices since 1979, including several terms as President. She went on to become Government Director on the California League Board from 1995-1999. As VP for Voter Service for LWV-LAC Board, Margo was instrumental in producing the Voter Guide; presented Ballot Briefings; and conducted judicial forums and interviews. She was President of that League from 2004-2006, and since 2007 she has been a Consultant for LWVC on Voting Rights. She also serves as a VotersEdge.org local coordinator in Los Angeles County.
Advocacy
In this class you will learn about the League’s non-partisan policy and what it means to advocate for League positions.
Date: Wednesday, October 27
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Facilitators:
Chris Carson was the President/Chair of the LWV of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund 2016 - 2020. She previously served on the LWVUS Board as Advocacy Chair and Chair of the LWV Redistricting Task Force. In 2005, she joined the Board of Directors of the LWV California, being responsible for voter education and advocacy relating to state and local government, and was a key player in the adoption of the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and its initial redistricting effort in 2011. She is currently Redistricting Director, LWV California.
Carolina Goodman is a retired educator, who joined the Los Angeles League in the fall of 2013 and has been active on their Youth Outreach and Human Trafficking Committees. She is currently Co-Chair of the LWVC Criminal Justice Reform Committee and represents LWVLA in a coalition for Los Angeles Campaign Finance Reform. Her father was an immigrant from the Philippines in the 1920s. He met her mother in the Philippines during World War II while she was working for an Armed Forces Auxiliary. Her mother was devoted to community service and certainly was a model for Carolina.
