Real Change You Can See

The Emerging Leaders Network has not only allowed me the opportunity to access informative and relevant programming about civic action (a subject that I had very little experience in) but it has also encouraged me to engage with my peers. It’s one thing to know that you have opportunities to grow but it’s another thing when you’re encouraged to act on those opportunities, ELN gives you the space to ask, meet and engage.

The people I’ve met and the perspectives I’ve been exposed to through CivicAction have made for a truly transformational experience during my time on the ELN exec. It’s an organization that manages to evolve and reinvent itself so it can more effectively work toward solutions to the ever-changing challenges facing the region. Yet it also remains relentlessly committed to its core values of diversity, inclusion, collective leadership and, above all, action.

The GTHA is one of the greatest regions in the world and this isn’t by accident, but rather because of the work done by leaders past. Maintaining this status will require creativity, ingenuity and the highest commitment to civic responsibility – this is why leadership development is important for our rising leaders.

Civic leadership is as necessary to community development as the air we breathe. True leaders are self-examining, constantly learning, never asking others to do what they have not attempted and encouraging of those who try and fail.

After being in the DiverseCity Fellows program, my network has increased exponentially. I’ve had the opportunity to meet many brilliant and committed individuals from across various sectors.

The DiverseCity Fellows program has been a great way to get more connected beyond my own sector and apply invaluable lessons in leadership to my endeavors.