10 Years After the Tea Fire
November 13, 2018 Ten years ago this morning, I was up early (as I am this morning) taking a walk up Gibraltar Road in the mountains high above Santa Barbara. It was so very peaceful, the stars were sparkling, it…
Words of Wisdom from our Fantastic Facilitators
Learning to Linger By Ken Saxon A few years ago, I had a revelation. Every time you bump into someone at a meeting or on the street, and you start chatting, someone has to initiate the end of that unplanned…
A Conversation Between Two Alumni
August Iced Lattés with Terri and Judy By Judy Hawkins With over 30 years cultivating deep work in preschool teaching, families and healing, Terri Allison “retired” from Storyteller Children’s Center 3 years ago. Clearly, she has not retired from this…
Community News
-Carl Palmer and Greg Gorga organized a delightful CTL Annual Summer Gathering in Montecito on July 14 and led a discussion on collaborations that have sprung from within the CTL community. -Ernesto Paredes (cohort 1), Executive Director of Easy Lift…
Upcoming Events, Activities, & Opportunities
Help welcome new alums! Cohort 7 will have their final retreat on November 7 - 9th. Our tradition is to welcome new alums into our Courage to Lead community by planning a Rite of Passage Ceremony. Please save the date…
Summer Poem for Reflection
Below is a poem read during the current cohort’s July retreat: FLOWER COMMUNION By Lynn Ungar From Blessing the Bread: Meditations What a gathering – the purple tongues of iris licking out at spikes of lupine, the orange crepe skirts…
Michael Heck
State Director | Community Solutions, Inc. Leading for Community Impact Alumni For someone who spent 10 years in prison, Michael Heck’s path to leadership was anything but ordinary. And yet, his uncharacteristic background led to his present success and strong…
Eder Gaona-Macedo
Executive Director | Future Leaders of America, Inc. Emerging Leaders Alumni As a Latino youth, Eder Gaona-Macedo felt his voice didn't matter. He grew up as an undocumented immigrant in a single family household, yet held strong to his American…
Alejandra Gutierrez
(Former) Director of the Family Service Center | SB Unified School District Emerging Leaders Alumni Alejandra is a Santa Barbara local, having grown up intertwined in two different cultures. Her Mexican roots and American attitude have supported her to interweave the…
Ben Romo
(Former) Community Recovery and Engagement Coordinator | Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management Katherine Harvey Fellows Alumni Ben Romo draws inspiration from his personal experience as he helps lead in disaster relief for our community. “I had friends plucked from their…