Leadership Livingston

What is Leadership Livingston?

Leadership Livingston is program based on a national model used by Chambers throughout the country to develop individuals as leaders within their communities.  While the program is new to Livingston Parish, it has a long history of building successful leaders throughout the nation, state and neighboring parishes.

Participants are current and emerging leaders who graduate from the program with an awareness of community and social topics.  With commitment and understanding, graduates of Leadership Livingston will transfer skills provided through the program into actual community application.  Presenters and sponsors of the program benefit by helping to form trained, responsible, dedicated leaders who are given the tools and information to make a difference in the community where they live and/or work.  Enthusiasm from their knowledge gained in the program gives graduates a “can do” approach applied with their renewed enthusiasm and understanding of their surroundings.

How does Leadership Livingston provide this information and skills?

The program begins with an overnight retreat where the class participates in a “simulated society” presented by a certified, professional facilitator.  Participants are broken into different “classes” of society where they face the challenges and real life issues of each.  Participation in the retreat is mandatory including an overnight stay.

Following the retreat, participants agree to attend a one day session each month focusing on a specific topic of Livingston Parish.  The topics include government, culture and tourism, community health care, leadership competencies, judicial system, diversity, education, social concerns, economic development, hidden treasures and topics which are unique to Livingston Parish.  These topics are presented as one day per month field trip where the class typically meets at a different destination each month throughout the parish.

Why did the Chamber take on this program?

The Chamber, through its mission, supports the growth and economic development of the parish.  One of the Chamber's key areas of focus is leadership development. Leadership programs are typically presented by local chambers of commerce nationwide.

Who should participate / apply for the program?

Leadership is for any existing or potential leader who resides or works in Livingston Parish.  The number of participants is limited.  Other programs typically have participants who are corporate executives, educators, bankers, attorneys, entrepreneurs, homemakers, engineers, volunteers, architects, retailers, physicians, mayors, elected officials, clergy, realtors, publishers, account representatives, health care providers, firemen, managers, police, parish council, city council, tourism, a host of other industries and YOU!

What are the requirements of participants?

Participants agree to:

• Commit to the entire program including the attendance requirements.
• Attend the opening retreat with a one night stay.
• Attend one full weekday per month session from September through May - third Tuesday of each month.
• Participate in the group project addressing a need in the community.
• Participate in an "outside activity" on your own.

What is the cost of the program?

Value of lessons learned, connections and friendships made: Priceless.  Actual cost to participate - currently around $1,150 making our program one of the most accessible in the area.   Accommodations, meals, fees, and course materials are included in the cost.

What can applicants expect?

Applicants can expect to be notified of their acceptance within a week of the application deadline.  Once accepted, you will be notified via email of upcoming sessions, dress, directions, arrival times and other details of each session.  The Chamber will provide a calendar for the year at the beginning of the program.

What would it be like?

• WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE, for 24 hours, to participate in an exercise that demonstrates the struggles and decisions used each day by the poor, the middle class, the rich?  What if you didn't have the money to buy a cup of coffee or dinner?  Had no transportation?  What if you are responsible for employing hundreds of people?  Opening Retreat for Leadership allows you to experience this.  It is a life changing exercise that promises you will never look at life the same again!
• Would you like a personal meeting with the mayors and parish elected officials in Livingston Parish including our Parish President, Sheriff, Parish Council, Assessor, Clerk of Court and others?
• Would you like to hear how their offices are run, what authority and responsibility each has? Budgets? Challenges? and future forecast in their offices with a select group of people?
• Tour the State Capitol from the "insider's view".
• How about the History of the parish?  What was it like long ago?  What was the leadership like then? How did that shape today's leaders?
• What about the Cultural Influences in the parish?
• Economic Impact?  Visit large employers, small business and what made them decide to locate in Livingston Parish? (You'll be surprised to know!)
• Change your view!  Get the Facts and the Inside scoop for under $999 (other similar programs charge $1,000 to $2,000!).  (Honestly, you would spend over $300 on 10 lunches for 10 months, for under $1000 we will feed you, provide a NICE hotel room, introduce you to the leadership of the parish in a close setting, evaluate your personality and teach you how to hone your skills in working with others. And that's just a fraction of the program.
• WE will provide you with a gratifying Community Project where you get to make the difference.
• ALUMNI PROGRAM - plus only alumni have access to certain graduate only items.  More on the alumni program can be found on this page. 

Livingston Parish Community Projects

It's likely you have seen some of the projects that class members have taken on as part of the class requirements.  You may not have realized those projects and the awareness they build stemmed from the involvement of class members in the Leadership Livingston Program.  Some find the project portion to be one of the most gratifying parts of the program and even continue their involvement with their cause past their graduation from the program.  Learning to work together with a group of people that you likely do not know is part of the program by design.  It exemplifies how communities work and even how some who are elected into the parish.

Some of the projects that are part of the program include working with:

• Mighty Moms both in 2013 and in 2016 to bring a strong awareness of the program, the Leadership Livingston Team also purchased and created the barrel program that is still in place today where barrels are placed throughout the parish to collect food for children through Mighty Moms.  In 2016, the Mighty Moms program was again selected by a project group as the focus to help them recover post flood.  They had lost all of their supplies and the group helped them by assisting in restocking, creating a program with the local library system and the chamber connected a local business returning post flood to donate $10,000.00 to the Mighty Moms program.
• Veterans issues and awareness were both addressed.  At the entrance circle of the new courthouse in Livingston stands a the Veterans Wall that was originally set at the old court house.  The Leadership project group coordinated the moving of the wall and in coordination with the chamber held a dedication ceremony.  Another group also assisted the Veterans Wall in Albany by providing landscaping, awareness and other improvements to the project.
• Foster Care Awareness
• Albany Playground
• Human Trafficking Awareness
• Challengers Ball Field in Walker
• Litter Free Lp - Litter Awareness & Action
• Plus many more that can be found here. 

Leadership Livingston Develops Leaders

The main purpose of the program is to develop active, concerned citizens and businesses who not only care enough to make sure the real way the parish is run is properly represented, but to also move on to the next step in remaining involved in leading organizations.  Knowing the workings of a community and learning what the challenges each faces is a key part.  Another way leaders are developed is through their participation in the project portion.  Additionally, portions of the program allow for discussion where possibilities and opportunities are discussed.

Live 2 Lead, a nationally renown program, is part of the leadership experience and class members attend this to get a truly memorable experience from world know leaders.