Alumni group dedicated to local issues

By Steven Mihailovich, Today's Local News
October 5, 2008

SAN MARCOS – About 20 people gathered at Lake San Marcos Resort to hear Tina Pope, president of the Escondido Union High School District, speak about the challenges she and her district are facing.

Although members of the audience came from divergent fields of interest they shared a common bond: They were all graduates of Leadership North County.

The program, presented by Cal State San Marcos since 2002, connects community leaders and gives them the opportunity to study community issues.

“You can speak to 200 people, and you don’t know why each one is there,” Pope said.  “(Leadership North Country alumni) are intimate.  It’s a second family for some.  They’re specifically interested in the topic.”

The resort environment belied the earnest nature of the discussion about North County schools, which featured several local educators.

The Sept. 26 event followed a breakfast seminar in August on the same topic, said Steve Kildoo, a leader of the alumni group.

That might seem like overkill, but Kildoo said the members of his group aren't your typical community members learning about an issue.

The alumni group’s 48 members include some of the most powerful people in North County, including the mayors of San Marcos and Escondido, city council members, business executives, educators and the heads of public agencies and private nonprofits.

“Our hope is to create dialogue, advocacy if need be,” Kildoo said.  “I think this organization will be one of the most powerful groups in North County in five years.”

Education is only the second topic tackled by the alumni group, which formed last year.  Two meetings on transportation were held in the spring, Kildoo said.

The alumni organization mimics the Cal State program by providing presentations that dissect issues and provide leaders with the tools to arrive at solutions, said Julie Wright, the group’s co-chair.

“The program appeals to people who are ready to apply the leadership skills they already have,” Wright said.  “They’re passionate about issues, and they just need to know who to connect to.”

Member Gina McBride of Carlsbad belongs to several local organizations.  She is president of the North County Philanthropy Council and vice charwoman of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce’s Public Policy Committee.

McBride said the alumni group provides an opportunity to work with others who are familiar with local issues to plan a course of action for addressing problems.

“We network in every organization but these people want to be leaders and offer their talents to North County,” McBride said.  “We have the ability to take the initiative and say, ‘What can we do to tackle the problem?’  We can bring people to the table.”

Because issues are presented in a common regional context, McBride said, members can see the interconnections and help overcome local limits.

“We have to recognize that all the cities in North County are somewhat provincial,” she said.  “Everyone has their own agendas and issues.  We understand that you’re in your own (city), but you’re part of a broader community.”

Scott Gross coordinates Cal State San Marcos’ Leadership North County Program.  One day a month, from September to June, the program offers comprehensive study of the most important issues affecting North County. 

Leadership North County has 30 enrollees this year, the most ever, Gross said.

Gross attributes the program’s increased popularity to the alumni group.

“In the past, recruitment has always been a challenge for us,” he said.  “It was so grass roots that it had no brand recognition.  By having the alumni groups and events, we’ve got them re-energized and more engaged.  Instead of me just speaking about (Leadership North County), we have 50 people talking about it.”

Leadership North County is the outgrowth of Leadership 2000, established in 1986 by the late community leader Fran Aleshire.  The program has about 550 graduates, 140 since it was taken over by Cal State San Marcos in 2002, Gross said.

Jan Jackson is associate vice president of the university’s community engagement department, which oversees the program.  She said the combination of the program and the alumni group is steadily raising the bar for community service across North County.

“Finding solutions requires action, and that’s what Leadership North County and the alumni does,” Jackson said.  “They empower people to identify actions and take them.  It allows people to take their passion to the next level.”