Leadership Lodi, formed in 1990,
inspires and motivates individuals in
our community to achieve higher levels
of leadership.
Each gradating class has between ten to twenty participants who represent our
local employers’ mid- and high-level management, business owners, political
up-and-comers, service club leaders, and government officials, including:
The Mayor of Lodi, City Manager, and most department heads at City Hall
Judge Warner, the President of Delta College, and the Superintendent of
Lodi Unified School District
8+ Presidents and Executive Directors of the leading not-for-profits in
Lodi including Lodi House, LOEL Center and Gardens, and the Women's Center
of San Joaquin
The Lodi Chief of Police, plus Lodi Memorial Hospital CEO and department
heads
In Agriculture, participants spend the day with Brad Lange, Larry
Mettler, Mark Chandler, John Ledbetter, Brad Kissler, Andy Christiensen,
County and UC Davis personnel
Leading representatives from travel, industry, and real estate including
Carson Funderburk, Plant Manager of General Mills, Dale Gillespie, Russ
Munson, and Nancy Beckman
Media contacts including Marty Weybret and Rich Hanner, publisher and
editor of the Lodi News Sentinel
The year-long program provides
participants with an opportunity to
learn from current leaders about the
complexities of the city from a variety
of angles.
Participants spend a full day on
topics such as government, education,
law, agribusiness, economic development,
and more, as they travel the city and
meet with the people who help make the
city tick.
Each year the graduating class
creates a project that benefits the
community, including fund-raising and
manual labor, to foster their leadership
skills and build teamwork.
Past Graduates
Below is a partial list of individuals that have been through the 10-Month
long annual program.
Phil Felde
Tom McCauley
Phil Pennino
Joe Harrington
Tracy Williams
Nancy Beckman
Judy Kenney
Rosa Harnack
Carol Farron
Eric Daegling
Gina Martins
Kelly Higgs
Glen Barnes
Ting Faber
Paul Haley
Benjamin McDonald
David Diskin
JP Badel
David Main
Jim DeMera
Dave Smith
Vicki Jenkins
Terry Goldberg
Mary Ann Maggio
Doug Gerard
Denny Perak
Ken Gini
Kathy Wetmore
These are but a few of the 200+ graduates who now chair non-profit boards, or
have leadership roles in the community let alone their business.Someone in these people's organization believed these individuals were
worth investing in.
Does a participant personally grow in Leadership Lodi?
Without a doubt, we can guarantee we will return to you a person who has gained
insights into themselves, have a greater appreciation of what it takes to be
successful and more effective as a team member, a new perspective of how they
and the organization they represent fit into this community, and a deeper
knowledge of the community in which they serve.
