We are halfway through this year’s Community Leadership Program (CLP) and the class has already taken a deep dive into our community:
- At the overnight retreat, class members completed a StrengthsFinder assessment and explored how to use their unique strengths and build diverse teams to create positive change.
- On Economic Development day, the class learned about the economic impact of the University of Iowa and the companies born from academic research, walked the plant floor at Procter & Gamble, and learned about collaboration between Greater IC, Think Iowa City, and our Self-Supported Municipal Improvement Districts, Downtown District and South of 6.
- On Government day, the class toured the Iowa City Water Treatment plant and Joint Emergency Communication Center, pretended to be city councilors and balanced a municipal budget, and heard from elected officials about why they chose public service.
- On Nonprofit day, the class visited several local nonprofits, including Shelter House, CommUnity Food Pantry, and the Free Medical Clinic, learned about nonprofit governance and board leadership from the Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center, and heard directly from a panel of local nonprofit directors.
Remaining sessions for the year will focus on Education, Healthcare, Arts and Culture, and Agriculture and the Environment.
CLP is Greater IC’s flagship leadership program and ties directly to our advocacy efforts, because we cannot advance important public-private initiatives without educated and engaged leaders at the table. Strong local leadership doesn’t just happen, and we are proud of the legacy of CLP and the many alumni who are actively working to make our community stronger. We are grateful to the many volunteers who make CLP possible and the organizations that financially support the program through sponsorships.
Interested in participating in CLP next year? Applications for the 2026-2027 class will be available on the Greater IC website in May. Any questions can be directed to Mackenzie at mackenzie@greateriowacity.com.
