2025/2026 Program Overview
Leadership Santa Cruz County's Class 38 is a 10-month program that meets one Friday each month from September through May with graduation in June. An August orientation is scheduled for introductions and an exciting overview of the year ahead.
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Pictured here in a discussion with Class 38 on "Redefining Leadership," Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, Class 22, co-founder of Impact Launch and Santa Cruz City Councilmember and Martine Watkins, Class 28, Senior Manager of Local Government and Business Affairs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and former Santa Cruz City Councilmember.
Meet our Team
Ryan Coonerty, Executive Director
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
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Chair: Lisa Murphy, Deputy City Manager, City of Salinas
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Vice Chair: Jennifer Mount, Professional and Leadership Development Consultant/Facilitator/Coach at Cabrillo College Leadership and Supervisory Academy
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Secretary: Mary Andersen, President, San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce; Publisher,
Treasurer: Elana Solon, Philanthropic Operations, Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
Past Chair: Shaz Roth, Executive Director, Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture
​Board Members at Large
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Angelo De Bernardo, Board Member, Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce
Carrie Arnone, Executive Director, Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce​
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​​Janet Janssen, Founder/CEO, Life in Business & Speaker Coach
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​Jess Brown, Executive Director, Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau
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​Nicole Beaver, Branch
Manager, Bay Federal Credit Union
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Phil Neuman, CEO, Cyber Ascend Technologies​
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Class Days for 2025/2026 Class 39
August 14, 2025
ORIENTATION
Welcome! Our new members will engage in icebreaker activities, and learn about the program. This begins interaction with leaders in the community.
October 3
HOUSING & ECONOMICS
Local housing and economic issues followed by a planning and design exercise.
December 5
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
​A look at the community’s health care and human services and field trips to local human service providers.
February 6
EDUCATION
Interaction with leaders from our public schools, community college, and university
April 3
AGRICULTURE
Visit agricultural sites in the Pajaro Valley. Learn about the importance and challenges of this major industry in our community.
June 5
ENVIRONMENT & INDUSTRY
Exposure to issues related to the area’s natural resources. Includes examples of sustainable industries along the North Coast.
September 11 & 12
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
A two-day retreat with challenging team-building exercises, bonding activities, and an overview of community issues, with a self-assessment exercise.
November 7
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Presentations from county and local political leaders and policy issues important to Santa Cruz County.
January 9
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Meet leaders in law enforcement, the District Attorney, and the public defender. Visit a county jail.
March 6
BUSINESS & TOURISM
Gain an understanding of small business and tourism issues. This day includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boardwalk.
May 1
ART & CULTURE
Discover the diversity and richness of the art and culture of the community which adds to the uniqueness of Santa Cruz County.
June 17
GRADUATION
Celebrate the year’s accomplishments and the awarding of graduation certificates. Then begin involvement with the LSCC Alumni Association.
Overview
Class members get a rare opportunity to actually see, hear and experience, up close, how our community’s business and services work. You will have a chance to walk through correctional facilities, tour the big trees in the San Lorenzo Valley, and hear the story of Big Creek Lumber and their mission to preserve our majestic forests, walk the fields of our county’s rich and diverse agribusinesses. And, if you’re very lucky, get a taste of a famous Gizdich Ranch pie.
Beginning with a two-day leadership retreat, class members participate in a total of 11 all-day classes throughout the year. Each class has its own specific focus and flavor. Along with valuable leadership training, you will get a clear picture of the deep commitment and affection our many community leaders have for our diverse and special community here on the Central Coast. And along the way, it is our hope that you, too, will share in the love and passion we have grown to have for Santa Cruz County.
The participants of Leadership Santa Cruz County are people who desire a broader exposure to the growing concerns of this county and who wish to discover the leaders within themselves. Class members have ranged from teenagers to seniors, and those in between. They have been newcomers and long-term residents. Class members and alumni reflect the diversity of the community: ethnically, geographically, professionally and economically.
Throughout its existence, Leadership Santa Cruz County has provided quality, non-partisan instruction and watched its alumni go on to take responsible positions throughout the community.
Our History
Ensuring the long-term stability of a community is a difficult task. It requires the creativity and vision of those people in leadership roles as well as a solid understanding of the many ingredients that make up this community. With this in mind, in September of 1985, the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce created the Santa Cruz community’s first and finest leadership training program called Leadership Santa Cruz (LSC). Two years later, the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture (now the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce), joined the Santa Cruz Chamber as a co-sponsor and the program was renamed Leadership Santa Cruz County (LSCC). The Capitola Chamber of Commerce became a sponsor in 1989, followed by the Aptos and Scotts Valley Chambers in 1990, and the San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1992. The chambers of commerce have been joined by numerous sponsoring business organizations and non-profits to guarantee the long-term success of its program in its fourth decade of operation.
Our Mission
The purpose of Leadership Santa Cruz County is to educate, motivate, and provide skill building opportunities for leaders to build the confidence they need for leadership roles in Santa Cruz County, enabling them to address the issues, needs, and opportunities facing the county now and in the future.
Alumni Association
With the graduation of the approximately 1,600 LSCC class members, we have formed an Alumni Association that allows the LSCC experience to live on. The LSCC Alum Association organizes leadership forums, alumni events, and a variety of networking opportunities throughout the year.