New Leaders Council Launches In Tampa Bay

There's a new opportunity for progressive leaders who want to play a role in shaping the future of our region.

New Leaders Council (NLC), a national nonprofit organization, recruits, trains and promotes the next generation of political leaders – whether they be elected officials, trendsetters or simply civic-minded individuals. The goal is to identify people from outside the traditional arena and provide them with the training and mentoring needed to become civic leaders.

The newly formed Tampa Bay Chapter of NLC officially launches August 20.

"It’s about building capacity for people who want to make the community better," says Rafaela Amador, co-chair of the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay Chapter.

The organization seeks leaders under the age of 40 who are interested in becoming a part of their fellows program. Each class of fellows will meet one weekend per month from January through May, where they will be exposed to speakers and topics ranging from fundraising to media engagement. The class will also select a community project. The focus is on the go-getters in the community who have a lot of energy, want to get involved but don’t know where to focus that energy.

"We want to take all ranges of different individuals and bring them together. The end goal is to have people graduate who want to make our community better and move it forward" says Justin Day, co-chair of the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay Chapter.

Interested applicants apply online through the national organization, with the final selection process being handled locally.

"There are so many of us who want to do something but don’t have the network to do it.  Bringing us all together and making us aware of what’s happening is what Tampa needs," says Amador.

For more information, use this email.

Writer: Megan Hendicks
Sources: Rafaela Amador, Justin Day, New Leaders Council Tampa Bay Chapter
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A Florida native and longtime Tampa Bay resident, Megan Hendricks graduated from the University of South Florida with a master's degree in business administration. She worked at the USF College of Business and has extensive community experience including the Tampa Bay Partnership's Talent Dividend Advisory Board, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Emerge Tampa Bay, Ekhos, and Bar Camp Tampa. She is a former board member and newsletter editor for Creative Tampa Bay. Megan enjoys telling the stories that make Tampa Bay a unique, diverse cultural experience.