Our region’s future depends on good leadership. LPV is empowering leaders with the tools and
connections they need to move us forward. As the only leadership program in the Pioneer
Valley, Leadership Pioneer Valley fulfills a need to develop lasting diverse connections, build
critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration across sectors.

As LPV built relationships with regional nonprofit organizations, it became clear there was a
need for leadership training and support for board development. There are over 2,000
nonprofit organizations in the area in which LPV operates. Many of these organizations are
small and rely entirely on volunteers. In order to ensure the nonprofits are operating to their
capacity and able to fulfill the needs of their communities, they need supported, well-trained
boards working on their behalf. In response to this need, the Leaders OnBoard program was
created in as a pilot program in 2016 to provide training opportunities for people who are new
to board service, working to meet the growing need for committed nonprofit board members,
and to shore up the talent already serving nonprofits in the region. In 2018, the program
expanded from providing services strictly in Franklin County to support nonprofit organizations
in Hampden and Hampshire counties as well.

At LPV’s founding, the LEAP Program was the only program component for the organization. At LPV’s start, more than a quarter of the Pioneer Valley population was facing retirement within 10 years. These individuals also held over 39% of organizational leadership positions in their organizations and carried a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge. Community and business leaders recognized the critical need to develop talent who would be committed to leading the revitalization of our local economy and strengthening our communities. LEAP helps to address this issue by bringing classes of 30-40 people together over nine-months to learn about the challenges and successes of the region while visiting businesses and organizations. In addition, LEAP participants work together in small groups with partnering nonprofits to deliver projects that support their work. LPV has added additional programs like Leaders OnBoard, alumni programming, Leadership 2.0 trainings, and webinars to meet additional needs over the years.

Leadership Pioneer Valley was founded to build a network of emerging and existing leaders to address the challenges and opportunities of the Pioneer Valley. Initially a part of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission before becoming an independent organization in 2013, our mission is to identify, connect, and develop diverse leaders in the region. We provide leadership development to help retain talent and strengthen businesses, organizations, and communities in the region.