Thirteen islanders have successfully completed their five-month course with Leadership San Juan Islands. They graduated on May 29.

This year, Cohort XI participants set up service-day projects on their home islands.  On Lopez Island, the team organized the first “Lopez Talks” event, bringing in more than 80 people to discuss various community and world issues; the San Juan Island team performed Earth Day cleanup activities at Lime Kiln Park; and the Orcas Island team helped at Orcas Montessori, enlarging the children’s garden and tidying up the outdoor areas.

The 2015 graduates are Kim Bryan, Jodi Spitalli, Daniel Vekved and Katie Wilkins (Orcas Team); Becki Day, Erin Corra, Bella French, Gregory Maynard and Annette McCullough (San Juan Team); and Bob O’Connell, Dave Sather, Liz Taylor and Sara Waugh (the Lopez Team). All have plans to continue in some form of leadership service within their communities. Since LSJI’s beginnings in 2004, more than 140 islanders have graduated from this program.

LSJI fosters leadership skills, such as facilitation and collaborative problem solving, and gives county residents the opportunity to better understand local systems and how they interconnect with: governance, economics, social services, history and culture, education, and the environment.  Participants learn within a cohort setting through a series of challenge days and retreats.Applications for Cohort XII will be available starting in August with open houses planned on each island in early fall.  For more information on LSJI, visit www.lsji.org.