Ventura County Leadership Academy

Ventura County Leadership Academy connects and cultivates a diverse network of passionate, capable leaders through an immersion in both critical issues shaping Ventura County and opportunities for personal and professional growth. VCLA’s comprehensive program ignites awareness and inspiration, helping cohort members discover their individual pathway toward impacting our region. Specific objectives of the Ventura County Leadership Academy are: To create a leadership development program incorporating, business, social services, education, community, government, and cultural issues throughout Ventura County; To promote the inclusion of diverse groups of individuals; To broaden the awareness, understanding and appreciation of a variety of critical issues affecting life in Ventura County, through contacts with community leaders, and participation in workshops, field studies, and related programs. The curriculum includes focus sessions on public safety, education, economic development, water, transportation, health care, nonprofits and volunteerism, the environment, agriculture and land use, regional issues , and governance. The sessions are interactive with open dialogue between presenters and program participants. Participants also conduct site visits and field trips as part of background research on the various topics of discussion. . It is a nine-month program that includes one full-day session each month from September through May and also includes a two-and-a-half day trip to Sacramento to study current legislative issues and an immersion activity.