Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Leadership Greater Syracuse on Thursday announced 52 participants to serve as community leaders in its annual Flagship Program’s Class of 2023.

LGS, a leadership development program, aims to prepare a class of participants every year to create change in their communities. The participants of this year’s program come from diverse backgrounds and will undergo training and education before they begin to organize efforts for community service throughout the year, said LGS executive director Pam Brunet.

“They’re going to be immersed in the issues, as well as the achievements, of our community,” Brunet said. “And then throughout the process, they’ll be building their own leadership skills and their own emotional intelligence.”

LGS offers three specific programs to benefit the community: the Flagship Program, CNY Political Leadership Institute and Return of Investment of Civic Engagement.

The CNY Political Leadership Institute prepares members for the political process through instruction on the mechanics of running for office, and The Return of Investment of Civic Engagement program consults Central New York businesses on community involvement activities centered on strategic philanthropy and volunteerism.

The Flagship program, which requires participants to go through an application process, will include a two-day retreat and ten monthly meetings throughout the year to discuss community topics, including government, education and economic development.

The Class of 2023 is composed of a wide range of participants, with professional affiliations ranging from the New York National Guard’s Diego Uribe to Wool Skateboards’ Justin Keskin. Jessica Pitcher, a member of LGS’ Class of 2022 and the associate director of Syracuse University’s Alumni Career Services, emphasized the importance of diversity in the program’s selection process.

“One of the best pieces about LGS is the diversity of backgrounds of everyone,” Pitcher said. “They take diversity holistically.”

On an individual basis, Brunet said the program prioritizes finding class members who have a dedication to their community and demonstrate breadth and depth of volunteer interest and experience.

“(Candidates) have to prove to us that they believe in our community,” Brunet said. “And number two, that it sounds like they’re willing to roll up their sleeves and do something to make our community better.”

The two-day retreat in January will include personality and leadership-type assessments and education about the history of the Syracuse community.

“A lot of people only know what they know from what they read, and some people will be critical of some things, but when they have the full story, they’ll realize, ‘Oh my gosh, there are a lot of great things going on in the community in this aspect,’” Brunet said.

After the retreat, participants start their monthly community meetings. The meetings not only cover community issues but also committee achievements, Brunet said.

The participants are required to plan two of these monthly class meetings before they “graduate.” Pitcher explained that her two days of planning were entitled Community Service Day and Commit to Lead and Serve.

For 2022’s Community Service Day, participants listened to a talk from John Tomino, the founder of the street outreach organization In My Father’s Kitchen, as well as a speed session consisting of five-minute speeches from other various charity organizations including Make a Wish and We Rise Above the Streets.

“(Participating in meetings) exposes you to also a bunch of topics that you wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to hear about,” Pitcher said. “For example, I didn’t sign up for government day, but I still got to hear from the people who do all of that (government-related work) all the time.”

The Class of 2022 held its final class day, entitled Commit to Lead and Serve, on Nov. 10 and its official graduation ceremony on Nov. 16. When they graduate, Brunet said she hopes participants will remain involved in the Syracuse community and also utilize their newly-acquired leadership skills to better collaborate with others.

Deidre Keefe, a Flagship Program Class of 2022 member and the project manager of ECHO at Upstate Medical University, said the program broadened her perspective and introduced her to ideas and information she otherwise wouldn’t have learned.

“It did open my eyes to things that, at this point in my life, I’m fairly confident that I would not have known,” Keefe said.“​​The best takeaway is just the people you meet in the class. You are like-minded, you have a lot of things in common and it’s easy to make friendships and networking connections.”

Published on December 6, 2022 at 11:29 pm

Contact Kendall: kaluther@syr.edu