Leadership Lakes Region would like to thank Laconia Savings Bank for sponsoring the Class of 2009 Graduation and Lakes Day on May 21st, 2009.

Leadership Lakes Region is..

an organization dedicated to community improvement by developing, expanding, promoting and putting in place a network of effective volunteer leaders with a variety of skills and interests.

The program focuses..

on the important aspects of civic life by exploring and increasing general understanding of the History and Culture, Economic, Political, Social and Educational issues unique to the Lakes Region..

The Leadership
program begins..

with an Orientation/Alumni Dinner and, continues with seven workshops held one day a month for seven months. Using surrounding towns as the "classroom", the sessions are designed to offer first-hand information from, and discussion with, business, organizational, government, and civic leaders.

It is the desire of Leadership Lakes Region..

to promote volunteerism and teach people how to become involved in their community as a "lifelong" activity. By the end of the program, participants will be more knowledgeable than most about the Lakes Region Area and will have developed a network of others, like themselves, who are anxious to volunteer and work together to improve our communities.

Leadership Lakes Region was founded..

in 1996 by citizens of the Lakes Region committed to fostering strong civic awareness in the community. The group modeled the program after other successful leadership programs throughout the United States.

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2008-2009 Leadership Lakes Region Program

Session
One

Session
Two

Session
Three

Session
Four

Session
Five

Session Six

Lakes Region United Way
Social Issues Day Sponsor
November 13th, 2008

Northeast Delta Dental
Health Issues Day Sponsor
April 14th, 2009

Colleen Elliott
Laconia Savings Bank

Don Morrissey, Chair
Lakes Region Community College (Retired)

Leo Sanfacon (Co Chair)
Belknap County Council on Children and Families

Staff:
Marian Gill
Program Coordinator
info@leadershiplakesregion.org

Pictured from L to R: Becky Byrant, LLR Alumni, LR Community Services; Alan Robichaud, Belknap County Citizens Council on Children and Families; Devon Benson, Youth Services Bureau and Brian Loans, Belknap County Restorative Justice.

Lakes Region United Way Sponsors Leadership Lakes Region’s Social Issues Day
Lakes Region United Way sponsored the recent Leadership Lakes Region’s (LLR) Social Issues Program Day.  The LLR program provides participants an opportunity to learn about the issues facing our region while honing their networking/leadership skills.  Social Issues Day provides a forum where the participants of LLR can meet the leaders who are involved in the social service industry and to discuss the issues firsthand. 
Alan Robichaud from the Belknap County Citizens Council on Children and Families led a panel discussion on the juvenile justice programs available in the lakes region.  He was joined by Devon Benson, Youth Services Bureau and Brian Loanes, Belknap County Restorative Justice.  The participants then met with Nancy McCurry from the Laconia Area Community Land Trust to discuss affordable housing in the region, McCurry took the class on a walking tour of a recent housing project in Laconia which was followed by a tour of the Salvation Army’s Carey House by Captain Scott Flanders from the Salvation Army.
Jack Terrill, President of the United Way had earlier asked the class to interview nonprofit leaders in the region to determine the concerns, priorities and trends that exist in the social services sector.  In light of the current economic situation it was no surprise that the majority interviewed had funding as their number one concern.  Although many agreed that local nonprofit agencies are better able to determine the needs of the community there was a consensus that the current trend shifting the responsibility for many social services from the state to the community will have an overall negative impact in the level of services that non profits will be able to offer.  Further, over half the participants interviewed felt that their organization could merge with another without harming overall services. A need for creating partnerships, increasing volunteerism and honing fiscal responsibility also topped the lists in the trends for the industry. 
The day concluded with a discussion of social services offered in the region from Chris Santinello, Executive Director of Lakes Region Community Services as she gave an overview of how the industry evolved from the days when the only help available to many lakes region residents was the well intention but archaic state school system.
This year’s LLR class is comprised of seventeen participants from all sectors of the region from healthcare, banking, nonprofit and tourism.  Social Issues Day is the third in a series of eight program days put on by Leadership Lakes Region.  The program’s mandate is to educate today’s leaders in the issues facing our region focusing on History and Culture, Social Services, Education, Economic Development, Health, Political, the impact of our natural resources on the region and the importance of leadership and community involvement.  The program runs from October to May each year.  If you would like more information on the program please contact Marian Gill, Program Coordinator at 524-6791 or visit their website at www.leadershiplakesregion.org, email info@leadershiplakesreigon.com.

Photo from L to R:  Therese Linden, Laconia Savings Bank, LLR Alumni; Devi Dahal; Frdos Hassan; Ali Hassan; Carol Pierce, Laconia Human Relations Committee.

Leadership Lakes Region’s Class Welcomes Iraqi and Bhutanese Refugees.

Leadership Lakes Region (LLR) recently kicked off the program year with History and Culture Day.  Carol Pierce from the Laconia Human Relations Committee discussed the social, cultural, and financial challenges faced by refugees now living in the Lakes Region. Ali Hassan from Iraq and Devi Dahal from Bhutan, both refugees who have been living in Laconia for less than six months, recounted their stories, their challenges and their successes in relocating to New Hampshire.   

The LLR class visited the Winnipesaukee Playhouse to hear a cultural panel discussion with Neil Pankhurst from the Winnipesaukee Playhouse, Terri Wiltse from the League of NH Craftsmen and Bridgett Harding from Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion.  From there the class visited the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum where Ann Sprague, Executive Director, sent the class on a journey through time that focused on the evolution of the Weirs Beach Area.  The day concluded with a historical and future look at Gunstock from Bill Quigley, Marketing Director of Gunstock Mountain Resort. 

With Thanksgiving around the corner and in the spirit of community building the LLR participants brought in food items to donate to the area’s food bank.   

History and Culture Day is part of a series of eight seminar days that seeks to inform participants of the numerous issues at work in the Lakes Region and to foster a climate of greater volunteerism, community building, networking and leadership skills among its graduates. The next program day is Social Issues Day on December 2nd.  

Anyone interested in learning more about the organization may contact Leadership Lakes Region at 2 Airport Road in Gilford or by calling the office at 524-6791 or email info@leadreshiplakesregion.org.