Why LEAP?

Building and connecting more diverse, committed and effective leadership for the Pioneer Valley.

Through a 9-month program of sessions, on-the-ground experiences, and real-world projects designed to stretch your limits, you learn directly from experts and community leaders.  Work with proven 21st Century leadership frameworks that foster personal transformation.  Build bonds with life-long allies that you wouldn't ordinarily meet.  LEAP gives you:

 Applied Leadership Tools-  Give yourself the edge in career and community with advanced tools in your belt.

"The Leadership Pioneer Valley program helped me find my true self. I came away with confidence in addition to many new skills. This program made me a better communicator, a better employee and a better manager. And the knowledge I gained about our community has made me a better citizen. "      

— Maureen Trafford, Smith College, LPV '13

 Network of stellar and diverse peers- New connections and stronger networks with fellow leaders from across all sectors, communities, and cultures.

"Going through the Leadership Pioneer Valley program has made a tremendous impact on the success of my business in last three years. I am able to practice valuable lessons learned during the program on every-day-basis. I have a better understating on how to deal with different personality characteristics, and how to manage customer’s expectations better. Overall, I am forever thankful to have been part of Leadership Pioneer Valley inaugural class. "

—Peter Ellis, dif design, LPV '12

 Connect to your region- Gain a 360 view of the assets, challenges, and opportunities in the Valley.  Find your place through hands-on experiences that give you the chance to develop a vision of how to best apply your talents to impact our region.

"As a member of the Health and Medical field, I'm exposed to leaders with common goals and views. Working with other leaders with different fields of expertise opened my eyes to other options in problem solving techniques. LPV helped me to network with other leaders in the community, thus I was able to meet who's who in the Pioneer Valley, from our current leaders to our rising leadership stars. Getting to know better the region also helped me to know the differences and common features of our region. And definitively the gamma and richness of tools provided by the LPV instructors and volunteers, will help all the participants tackle challenges in a fresh and "healthier" way.

—Dr. Julio A. Martínez-Silvestrini, MD, Medical Director Baystate Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation