To RSVP for Synthesis Day, click here

To RSVP for Graduation, click here

Community members can propose a project that addresses a need in the community that may be addressed by a Leadership West project group at the Project Idea Clearing House.  In this way, the project groups may be inspired and Leadership West may be instrumental in matching up a challenge in the community with just the right leader to meet it.

Projects may be proposed by anyone in the West Valley.  Project groups may still come up with their own original ideas.

To propose a project, click here.

Leadership West Service Project Proposal

Projects Suggested

Dysart Community Center www.dysartcommunitycenter.org (No relation to the Dysart District)

• The Community Center needs a strategic plan to prove sustainable for grants and donations. It also needs a lot of phyiscal labor, volunteers and manpower to be able to function every day.
• There is no deadline for this project.
• Contact information
  • Jessie Singer
  • (623) 238-0813
  • jsinger@dmbinc.com

Youth Leadership Hatchery Project

• https://docs.google.com/a/leadershipwest.org/document/edit?id=1dUbE30Hu9UdHbaDF-BFA6xpzS7AsplSr9V5qDW_WxvE&hl=en&authkey=CKfDqqEP&pli=1#

Peoria – Theater Mecca of the West Valley

• The West Valley, and Peoria in particular, has become the home of very successful theaters, each unique in its own way.  They include Theater Works, Arizona Broadway Theater, Creative Stages and others.  A community event would put Peoria on the map and on the radar screens of theater patrons across the valley.
• Contact Information
  • Jack Lytle, ED of Theater Works
  • 623-518-3503
  • jlytle@theaterworks.org

Centennial Trail project

• https://docs.google.com/a/leadershipwest.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1fhq1KrM_QD7ZyRRlLgf0ASw8oUDua7cf3QdJChqwnvbKfLfUuuFuY7aFeRya&hl=en_US
• https://docs.google.com/a/leadershipwest.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1xqZM-WAd7QEpxmla-Lo40GZovmZ6oORvh1bHDuHNDnj5iEqQj4vYqbwg2-We&hl=en_US
• Contact Information
  • Ed Buonvecchio, Murals/Graphic Design/Illustration
  • (623)-556-7988
  • eddibon@yahoo.com

Projects Implemented

Surprise Community Garden

• A community garden in Surprise will provide an outlet for learning for families, students, and all members of the community. The community’s generations will come together to work on their plots while interacting with others. For those who cannot afford a plot, partnerships and scholarships will be established and offered.

West Valley PGA Golf Tournament

• The West Valley has been accepted by the PGA to host a Nationwide Golf Tournament.  If your LW would like to organize this it would be a huge economic force in the WV.

On an annual basis, four new and innovative class projects address community values and needs in the West Valley. The projects are meant to make a sustainable difference in the quality of life of West Valley citizens.  The project presentations are judged by a distinguished panel of community leaders and the highest rated project is recognized at the Graduation dinner and ceremony.  The following is a brief abstract of the

Class XVII Community Projects:

Team Crazy Chameleons:  Lisa Lantz, Bruce Larson, Matt Lively, Jeff McBride and Gail Pletnick-

My Future: An expandable, online virtual career, life skills, and college awareness program for middle grade students. (Winner)  View the presentation here.

Team Chaos:  Kiel Klaphake, Scott Lekan, Eva Guibert, David Mitchell and Troy Day -

Fall for the Arts Festival is a free event for the entire family and is an excellent opportunity to sample from numerous performance arts groups.  Attendees will be able to engage in free dance lessons, talk with artists, or watch a live performance, demonstrating that the West Valley is the place to be for outstanding entertainment.  View the presentation here.

Team Wow:  Gary Serviss, Cheryl Street, Will Manchas, Russ Ullinger, Trish Arana and Robert Sanders -

Fashion Fantastico is a Wearable Art Show, not a fashion show.  It is a multi-media performance where the human body becomes a living, breathing, moving canvas. The event will merge fashion, fine arts, performance and more to benefit arts education in the West Valley.  See the Fashion Fantastico Website here.

Team Nuclear:  Derek Skains, Garry Brussels, Scott Phillips, Eddie Smith and Debbie Kushibab  -

Work Internships Ready Community College Students:  An economic development program, West Valley Work Internships Ready Community College Students, is a scholarship program for EMCC students who accept non-paid internships with local businesses; a win-win scenario for both businesses and students.  View the presentation here.

West Valley Solar Summit – Partnering with Goodyear to facilitate solar energy use at a municipal facility.  John Vescova, Karen Hong, Patricia Krogh, Scott Shively.  To view Power Point Presentation, click here.

Team Make it Happen – Leaders of Today helping Leaders of Tomorrow: Facilitating student leaders engaging with community leaders.  Janene Van Leeuwen, Jerry Hoyler, Jerry Mullen, Jill Knaak, Lloyce Robinson.  For outline of project, click here.

Team Valley Uppers – Assisting the SW Family Advocacy Center in their plans for the future of the organization.  Cathy Vix, Ed Gerak, Elizabeth Wilkinson, Sharon Wolcott, Skip Peeples.  View Informational Flyer here.

Class XV Graduates

Spencer Anderson West Valley National Bank
Jennifer Campbell City of Goodyear
Tamara Caraway Adolfson &Peterson Construction
Sophia Combs SRP
Kenneth Lynch City of Surprise
Stephanie Kegley-Scott The New Foundation
Erik Miller For Those Without a Voice
Bernadette Mills West Valley Arts Council
Othell Newbill City of Goodyear
Garrett Olexa Jennings, Strouss & Salmon Law
Thomas Payton Architectural Dimensions, LLC
Deanna Rada Bade Companies
John Rowan City of Goodyear
Melinda Sanchez Liberty One Real Estate
Jessie Singer Marley Park, a DMB Community
Susan Stout US Air Force
Jenni Thomas Arizona State University
Kevin Turner Waste Management, Inc.
Larry Woods Sun City West PORA

Project #2: Shake & Bake
Members: Spencer Anderson, Jennifer Campbell, Susan Stout, Jenni Thomas, Kevin Turner
Summary: Worked with the Goodyear Branch Library to recruit and establish a volunteer base for the new branch, supported the grand opening held in March, and coordinated a year-long art display at the library featuring local high school artists.

Project #4: Ignite
Members: Stephanie Kegley Scott, Garrett Olexa, Melinda Sanchez
Summary: Aided HandsOn Greater Phoenix to bridge the gap between organizations and entities in the West Valley that are in need of volunteers and people looking to volunteers their time. The group led an effort by researching and compiling contact information for over 500 potential partner organizations to explain the benefits and to facilitate the start of a relationship with HandsOn.

Project 2: Youth Volunteerism in the West Valley
Members: Darcie McCracken, Jenn Farrell, John Wirtjes, Josh Landers, Mike Elmore, Patrick Lewis, Shawn Lawson
Summary:
• Instill leadership and volunteerism in kids
• Our goal is to get the kids to better understand where the food comes from, demonstrate to the community the need for food, promote volunteerism with the West Valley Youth and instilling the value of volunteerism in youth to grow tomorrow’s leaders in the West Valley
• Organize a one day “Volunteering in Your Community” event in collaboration with St. Mary’s Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the West Valley
• Target date is in early May on a Saturday from 9am to noon; plan on organizing the event for about 50-60 seventh and eighth grade children
• Teach kids to understand the need of volunteering their time by giving them a tour of the facility and having them participate organizing the food donations
• Teach kids about the importance of St. Mary’s Food Bank
• Make it a fun and interactive educational event – include some arts and crafts booths that will educate the children about the role of St. Mary’s Food Bank
• We also hope to have local celebrities involved to help us make it a memorable experience.
• The event will conclude with a donated lunch and goodie bags to remind them of the experience

Project 3: WESTMARC Survey
Members: Angela Cotera, Vicki Davis, Jose Lopez, Matt Micksin, Connie Stepnitz, Anthony Sumner, Michael White
Summary: We propose to conduct a survey of WESTMARC members which will both repeat questions asked during the survey done by a team as part of Leadership West Class XI, and include additional pressing questions. We will work with both Leadership West and WESTMARC to formulate a questionnaire that meets the needs of both groups. We propose to create a webpage survey to efficiently acquire the data, compile the results in a timely fashion and will that enable WESTMARC staff to conduct additional surveys on a yearly or bi-yearly basis with minimal effort. We will present the results of the survey to WESTMARC, and incorporate both their comments and those of Leadership West into the final survey report.

Project 4: Building the Bridge: Activate America & West Valley Public Schools
Members: Bernard Collier. Mike Godbehere, Debra Undhjem, Linda Wemple, Debi Willis, Vernon York
Summary: Facilitate a partnership by building a bridge between the YMCA and the Litchfield Elementary School District to expand the Activate America program into the public school system. Activate America is a framework which the YMCA of the USA is using to develop policies and procedures that YMCA’s can use to initiate local programs to address the obesity health crisis facing America. Two schools have been identified; Western Sky Middle School and Palm Valley Elementary School. We will work with ASU West to develop a program in which students serve as staff for the program and earn credit throughout their semester.

Project 1: Fighter Country Partnership Capital Campaign
Members: Barry Chasse, Valerie Eddings, Dina Mathias, Susan Ramsey, Eric Santiago, Trent Watson
Summary: The team worked in collaboration with Fighter Country Partnership, Inc. (FCP) to develop a capital campaign program to assist the organization in its efforts to support the men, women and families of Luke Air Force Base. Through a partnership with the City of Surprise, the team marketed and sold tickets to a 2007 Spring Training game wherein 75% of the proceeds went directly to FCP. The fundraising effort not only contributed significant proceeds to the organization, it also earmarked funds to ensure the viability of a similar fundraising effort in the future.

Project 2: Dysart Education Foundation CTE Program
Members: Brian Biesemeyer, Ruth Espinoza, Erin Erbin, Jim Brink, Tom Hutchinson, Christina Lowery-Nunez
Summary:

Project 3: Arizona 211
Members: Todd Aakhus, Jennifer Deiley, Chuck Fitzgerald, Jim Rumpeltes, Cindy Saverino
Summary:

Project 4: Non-Profit Start-Up Guide (winner)
Members: Lisa Estrada, Kevin Elliott, Gloria Santiago, Connie Stover, John Maher, AZ Zimmerman
Summary: The team delivered a sustainable web site leading non-profit officers and executives through the process of successfully gaining corporate sponsorships. The web site also offers valuable links to relevant and useful information for non-profit organizations. Brochures were also distributed to non-profit organizations to promote the web site. The web site can be viewed at www.aznonprofitsurvival.com.