Members of Class XIII received recognition for their participation in the Ventura County Leadership Academy.

Members of the Ventura County Leadership Academy Class XIII participated in a commencement ceremony held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Oxnard on Thursday, May 22. The program began with introductions by Susan Lefevre, Executive Director of the Ventura County Leadership Academy and Jim White, Chair of the VCLA Steering Committee, provided the opening remarks.

Commencement speaker Dave Smith, President & CEO of United Way of Ventura County, provided insight into what constitutes effective leadership. Jarrod DeGonia, the elected Class XIII Representative, reflected on the experiences shared by his classmates.

Members of VCLA Class XIII chose as their class project the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP). They voted and adopted to assist the MICOP event celebration of the Día de los Ninos that took place on Friday, April 25. This event was a gathering of the Mixtec community as well as an educational event geared towards the children. The Mixtec community is traditionally underserved by many health and social services due to cultural and language barriers which has a direct impact on their children. The goal of VCLA XIII was to assist MICOP with the Día de los Niños event by providing a variety of services and collecting information they could use for future events.

In addition to the class project, Class XIII participants were involved in several full-day sessions during the nine-month program where subject-matter experts and top-level administrators offered presentations on specific topics. The group also traveled to the California State Capitol for a three-day overview of state government, meetings and interaction with legislators, members of the Governor's Staff and other legislative leaders.

Congratulations to the following VCLA Class XIII graduates: Patty Brown, Margo Byrne, Kimberly Clarke, Sharon Daly, Jarrod DeGonia, Caroline Doll, Lisa Fisher, Maria de la luz Flores, Ellis Green, Jill Haney, Eve Liebman, Chris Martinez, Frank Michel, Susie Pantoja, Chris Reeve, Su-lin Rubalcava, Diana Slais, Hoa Tran, Becki Walker, Charlene Williams, Laraine Yates, and Les Ybarra.

The Ventura County Leadership Academy was founded in 1994 with the goal of creating an opportunity to develop a diverse group of leaders who work to enhance the quality of life throughout Ventura County. The academy is an initiative of the United Way of Ventura County. Individuals interested in becoming candidates for participation in the upcoming Class XIV that begins in the fall should contact Susan Lefevre at (805) 485-6288, ext. 260 or visit www.vcunitedway.org and click on leadership.