We struggle with inclusiveness.
But groups including The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce are working together to address it.
Boulder County’s elected leadership does not reflect the fact that about 20 percent of the county is either a Latino of any race or a person of color. In fact, just 4 people out of 104 are estimated to be non-Anglo. And 7 percent of our volunteer advisory board and commission members is estimated to be non-Anglo.
The community relies on its elected leaders and their advisors to represent the whole county. In short: Diversity and diverse points of view matter.
That’s why The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County is pleased to be working with The Boulder Chamber of Commerce on the Leadership Fellows program, which is designed to cultivate the leaders of the future for Boulder County.
Leadership Fellows Boulder County graduates agree to join leadership positions 6 months after graduation from the program: They can run for office, support a candidate, or join a nonprofit or government board or commission. Each class of fellows is designed to be ethnically, racially and economically diverse.
This week, the fellows attended a robust session mostly surrounding educational issues in our county, including the achievement gap. Latino and economically challenged students here are less likely to read proficiently at certain grade levels or enroll in college than their peers.
A presentation by St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Don Haddad board member John Creighton was followed by a TRENDS presentation. All highlighted the challenges for children in our local schools: Enlightening tomorrow’s leaders about today’s opportunities.
