Burlingame, CA—On Saturday, June 4, 2022, LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SAN MATEO COUNTY graduated the Leadership CORPS Class of 2022.
This group of 38 accomplished individuals successfully completed the rigorous, 10-month experiential program designed to inspire, connect, and educate established leaders to positively transform San Mateo County. They represented all sectors—business, nonprofits, and government entities from across the county, and most importantly, the class demographics represented the diversity of the people who live and work in San Mateo County.
“When we started Leadership Council SMC with our Board of Directors and Advisory Council, our goal was to build upon our county’s already collaborative culture while also working to bring voices to the table who were not being heard,” said Kaarin Hardy, Leadership Council SMC Co-President to the graduates. “You were all doing great things before attending this program and we have watched you extend your reach with your new classmates, allies, colleagues, and now, friends. You are proof of what can happen when great leaders are connected.” Meet the members of the Leadership CORPS Class of 2022.
At the end of the ceremony, Kaarin and her Co-President Margi Power were awestruck by the outpouring of gratitude from the Class of 2022 that came in the form of a donation check to Leadership Council SMC.
“We are profoundly grateful to Kaarin and Margi for this outstanding program, magnificent content, and spectacular array of thought leaders, innovators, elected officials, etc, that they have introduced us to,” said Susan Kokores, Commissioner at the SMC Commission on the Status of Women and member of the Leadership CORPS Class of 2022. “In honor of Margi and Kaarin, our class has created a fund named ‘Class of 2022 Grateful Alumni Sponsorship,’ and we are pleased to share that this fund has had 100% participation by the members of the class. Our vision is that this fund will be the first of many to come.
After several moments of stunned silence, Kaarin expressed appreciation for the wonderful surprise. “Thank you for this overwhelming gift and for being the foundation of Leadership Council SMC,” she said. “You are forever part of the Leadership Council SMC community, part of our origin story and our future.”
The final CORPS program day and graduation ceremony were held in Cardinal Hall on the Redwood City Campus of Stanford University. Margi and Kaarin expressed their thanks to Stanford’s Office of Government Affairs for their generous underwriting and support.
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Next year’s Leadership Council SMC immersion programs will include the Leadership CORPS Class of 2023 and the new Emerging Leaders Program, a second countywide and cross-sector program designed for aspiring leaders who are engaged, involved, and ready to expand their positive impact in both their careers and their communities. The Emerging Leaders Program is unique in its design and objectives, and is the first of its kind in the Bay Area. The roster of participants for both classes will be announced in September 2022.
Learn more at www.leadershipcouncilsmc.org.
Congratulations to the Leadership CORPS Class of 2022:
Evan Adams
Commissioner, Foster City Planning Commission
Kristen Armbruster
Human Resources Manager, Town of Hillsborough
Anthony Au-Yeung
Financial Controller, Cypress Lawn Cemetery Association
Jeanne Back
Board Member, San Mateo Public Library Foundation
Aisha Baro
Executive Director, Life Science Cares
Pat Calihan
Senior Vice President, Investments, Prometheus Real Estate Group
Sophie Cole, MD
Councilmember, Town of Hillsborough
Eric DeBode
Executive Director, Abundant Grace Coastside Worker
Stephen Dover
Chief Market Strategist, Head of Franklin Templeton Investment Institute, Franklin Templeton
Christina Fernandez
Assistant to the City Manager / CSO, City of South San Francisco
Eddie Flores
Councilmember, City of South San Francisco
Ken Giacotto
Deputy Fire Chief, Central County Fire Department
Alexandra Gillen
Board Member, San Mateo Public Library Foundation
Greg Gonzalez
Operation Manager, Ability Path
Alicia Heneghan
Leadership Coach, UC Berkeley
Karin Huber-Levy
Commissioner, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission of County of San Mateo
Dana Johnson
Co-Chair, County of San Mateo LGBTQ Commission
Co-Chair, County of San Mateo PRIDE Initiative
Susan Kokores
Commissioner, SMC Commission on the Status of Women
Suzanne Lee
Senior Manager, Corporate Relations, Genentech, Inc.
Daisy Li
CEO & Founder, Moonstar Charitable Organization
Antonio López
Councilmember, City of East Palo Alto
Ben McMullan
Systems Change Advocate, Center For Independence of Individuals with Disabilities
James Moore
City Librarian, City of San Mateo
Robert Nisbet
City Manager, City of Half Moon Bay
Christine Padilla
Director, Build UP for San Mateo County’s Children
Lisa Perry
Community Leader, City of Redwood City
Anita Rees
Executive Director, Pacifica Resource Center
Tim Russell
Program Director, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Kalimah Salahuddin
Co-Founder / Trustee, REACH Coalition / Jefferson Union High School District
Tish Scola
Director of Admissions and Enrollment, Episcopal Day School of St. Matthew’s
Malcolm Scovil
CEO & Founder, TLDR, Inc.
Ross Sit
Board Member, Moonstar Charitable Organization
Patrick Sullivan
Broker/Owner, Liberty Realty Investments
Christine Thorsteinson
Director, Early Childhood Education, Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Tiffany Ung
Family Services Unit Manager, Cypress Lawn Cemetery Association
Bryan Vander Lugt
Senior Scientist, Amgen, Inc.
Yvonne Webb
Board Member, San Mateo County Health Foundation
Kate Wilson
Senior Director, Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences
