What an exciting year 2013 is shaping up to be! On the heels of the release of the Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies assessment – “Growing Leaders to Enhance Civil Society: Assessing the Contributions of Leadership Newark” in January finding Civic leadership ability can be enhanced, we continued celebrating our 15th anniversary at the annual Gala on May 8th. The Gala, themed “Leadership Newark (LN) Taking Center Stage”, was hosted by master of ceremonies Modia Butler (LN ’02), Chief of Staff to the Mayor, City of Newark, and featured performances by Anna Marie Sykes Gewirtz (LN ’06), Myra Burks-Davis (LN ’06), Rodney Gilbert (LN ’12), Khalil Rashidi (LN ’04) and Alban “AJ” Jones (LN ’10). The honorees included The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor, City of Newark; Everett Johnson (LN’04), Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A.; Anne H. Jacobson, Victoria Foundation; Dr. Stella Osemwegie (LN ’03), Youth Consultation Services; and L’Tanya Williamson (LN’05), the City of Newark Department of Child & Family Wellbeing.
We are so thankful to the Honorary Committee headed by Wasseem Boraie of Boraie Development, our many sponsors, supporters and attendees. Finally, who can forget the LN Fellows who jammed the night away on the dance floor. A great night was had by all!
See more images from the Leadership Gala on our Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.523748391006677.1073741826.121…
LN is a public policy fellowship program born out of a desire to strengthen the City of Newark’s civic infrastructure through preparing the next generation of leaders to serve in numerous capacities in the largest city in the State of New Jersey. Thomas O’Neill and Richard Roper, the founders began planning in 1997 and the first group of 40 participants began their 2-year fellowship in September 1998. The founders felt it was necessary to arm and prepare a strong cadre of leaders with diverse backgrounds with the depth & knowledge needed on a wide range of policy issues while ensuring their work on behalf of the community on those issues would have a positive impact on the City as it undergoes an evolving renaissance. To that end, Leadership Newark will continue to not only celebrate, but take a huge step forward in “servant leadership” with the upcoming Public Policy Summit on November 2nd, 2013.
We are excited to announce our Summit Keynote Speaker will be none other than Van Jones, former Green Jobs advisor to the Obama White House, CNN Contributor and pioneer/advocate in the environmental movement.
Stay updated on the Leadership Newark Public Policy Summit by joining our email list. Go to www.leadershipnewark.org and sign up. We will continue to announce new developments on our Facebook (leadershipnewark) and Twitter (@leadershipnwk) over the coming months.
Join us and continue to dare to be great!