Leadership Santa Cruz County

10/02/2026

Into the Redwoods: Class 40 Kicks Off with Its Leadership Retreat

What a way to launch the class year! 🌲 Class 40 spent September 17–18 at Mount Hermon Conference Center for our Leadership Retreat.

Over two days, the class dug into Santa Cruz County's political history, engaged with LSCC alumni on getting the most out of the program, and built their vision for the county during an interactive exercise. On Friday there was a redwood hike and a zipline canopy tour high up in the redwoods.

Huge thanks to Bookshop Santa Cruz, Bay Federal Credit Union, Mount Hermon Adventures, TOGO'S Scotts Valley, and Erik's DeliCafe for making it happen.

09/17/2026

The newest class of Leadership Santa Cruz County participants met for Orientation at Chaminade Resort in August. Class 40 includes 50 current and emerging leaders -- all individuals who have raised their hand and said that yes, they want to learn more about our community, make more connections, and take a role in shaping the future of our County in a way that aligns with their skills and interests.

Highlights of the evening included a mixing activity where participants identified why they are participating in Leadership, a perfectly-timed sunset dessert break compliments of Chaminade, and a genuine excitement to continue getting to know each other at the Leadership retreat coming up in September.

05/27/2026

This month, Class 39 explored the south county arts and culture scene - and what an incredible day!

Walking downtown, seeing live performances, hearing from local artists, filmmakers, and city leaders... it's a good reminder of how much creativity is woven into this county and how much it matters for our communities.🎨

Special thanks to Tom Brezny at Brezsny Associates Coastal Real Estate Expertise, Janet Janssen, Coach, Trainer, Public Speaker, Jennifer Mount Consulting, for their sponsorships!

05/02/2026

Congratulations to UC Santa Cruz for ranking #2 in Surfer Magazine's Top 10 Surf Colleges in America

"Surrounded by some of the most famed (and diverse) surf spots in the world, UCSC may be cold, but it’s also the capital of consistency. The campus, situated among the redwoods in the hills overlooking the Santa Cruz coast, is just a five-minute drive to the breaks on the west side, and not too much farther to more breaks on the east side."

Discover the top 10 colleges for surfers, combining great waves with excellent academics.

04/24/2026

This is a great conversation between Eric Lombardo of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and Jonathan Hicken of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center highlighting the interconnectednes of environmental protection, business, and public health.

Eric, a graduate of Leadership Santa Cruz County (Class 38), works with non-profits, for-profit businesses, and government to create win-win-win outcomes for our community. One of the themes we focus on at LSCC is how we can leverage cross-sector relationships to advance multiple goals simultaneously.

8 likes, 1 comment. "Tunnels, Timber, and Trails: The Balancing Act of the Santa Cruz Wild with Eric Lombardo"

04/21/2026

The application window for Leadership Santa Cruz County's 40th cohort closes this Friday, April 24th at 11:59 PM!
Link in comments 👇

If you or someone you know are in a leadership role and want to connect with leaders in our community, learn about our county, and hone leadership skills along the way, we hope that you/they will apply.

Participants commit to and orientation, a 2-day retreat, and 9 Fridays from August through June. There is a detailed description of the program and topics on our website.

Alums consistently report that the Leadership Santa Cruz County experience and relationships changed their lives, career and understanding of the community. Join us!

04/16/2026

Class 39's Health & Human Services Day centered on the theme of "Meeting Basic Needs," engaging participants for a full day of immersive learning about the critical social and health challenges facing the region. The day wove together expert panels on homelessness and vulnerable populations, a deep dive into the local healthcare system, hands-on volunteer work at Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz, and tours of nonprofit service organizations — all designed to give emerging community leaders a ground-level understanding of how Santa Cruz County addresses food insecurity, housing instability, immigration issues, maternal and child health, and access to medical care for its most at-risk residents.

"We are meeting with health and human providers at a moment of crisis. Food insecurity is skyrocketing, health systems are vulnerable, childcare is being cut, and enforcement is terrifying community members and impacting the local economy," said Executive Director Ryan Coonerty.

The success of Health & Human Services Day would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. We are deeply grateful to Sutter Health, Network Remedy, and Food What?! for their commitment to leadership development and the well-being of our Santa Cruz County community.

04/03/2026

Leadership Santa Cruz County Class 39 had the privilege of going truly outstanding in the field today - touring Driscoll's berry production at Sheehy Ranch in Watsonville and hearing from two remarkable professionals:

Sam Cooley, Senior Agronomist, Driscoll's Northern Region and Eric Peterson, District Manager, Driscoll's Northern Region. They shared the science, strategy, and passion behind growing one of the world's most beloved berry brands.

Santa Cruz County's agricultural roots run deep, and experiences like this remind our cohort why understanding ALL sectors of our community - from the boardroom to the berry row - makes for more connected, empathetic leaders.

Special thank you to our generous day sponsor, Santa Cruz Community Credit Union - your investment in leadership development makes days like this possible.

Photo by Elana Solon, Class 37