Organizers happy with first Leadership Laguna series
Organizers of a program meant to produce the next crop of Laguna Beach leaders said the first installment went well.
Twenty participants received certificates of completion June 2 upon the conclusion of the five-week Leadership Laguna series, City Councilman Robert Zur Schmiede said last week.
Zur Schmiede suggested the program, co-sponsored by the city and the nonprofit Laguna Beach Community Foundation, as a way to “demystify City Hall and give residents insight into what is going on,” as well as encourage residents to volunteer on city committees and commissions.
“For a first-time effort, I could not be happier,” he said.
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The series featured a different speaker each week from city departments such as public safety, water quality, public works and community development.
“A surprise to me was how interested the audience is in this stuff,” said Planning Commissioner Anne Johnson, who helped organize the free sessions, which met on successive Thursdays from May through June.
“Wow, I don’t know most of these people,” Johnson recalled thinking.
Johnson said other cities have similar programs to educate citizens about the intricacies of government.
The “students” filled out evaluations at the end of every session. Suggestions included allowing questions during presentations instead of at the end.
Overall, survey results indicated favorable reviews, Johnson said.
One respondent said: “I didn’t know how complex the city is; I never considered how Laguna has to interact with all the other governments.”
I didn’t know how complex the city is; I never considered how Laguna has to interact with all the other governments.
— a Leadership Laguna survey respondent
“There was not one particular topic people were interested in,” associate city planner Belinda Ann Deines said. “After speaking with people, they liked learning a little bit about everything to find what their niche is.”
Johnson and Zur Schmiede would like to continue the program, possibly once a year. An added touch could be including a historical overview of Laguna Beach during one session, Zur Schmiede said.
Johnson said she would like the city to have copies of certificates on file in case residents apply for committees.
“It shows a certain amount of strong interest,” Johnson said.
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Bryce Alderton, bryce.alderton@latimes.com
Twitter: @AldertonBryce
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