By Carolyn Barnes

Another name for Leadership Education ADvancement (LEAD) could be “Los Altos 101.” The leadership training class, sponsored by the Los Altos Community Foundation, introduces most of the people and programs that create today’s local community.

For seven years, each new LEAD class has brought together residents new to the area, lifelong Los Altans, and employees of city government and local businesses. More than 100 people have completed the course. Once a month for eight months, representatives describe local government officers and commissions, school districts, libraries, health and social service agencies, service clubs and arts organizations.

Class members represent a broad range of political and social differences, according to Ginny Lear co-founder with Penny Lave of LEAD. Lear is also co-chairwoman, with Lave and Marge Bruno, of the ongoing program.

“Initially, we thought that maybe the course would attract 35-year-olds, so we could help replace longtime community leaders who were thinking of retiring from public service. But, in fact, the group took its own shape from the beginning and attracts a broad age group without any effort on our part,” Lear said.

Chiropractor Julia Bickerton saw the announcement about LEAD sign-ups in the Town Crier last year, soon after moving to town.

“I thought, I’m a Los Altos resident and I’m going to throw myself into this place,” said Bickerton, who grew up in Oakland. “I’m always most attracted to the programs about government, and after hearing the Los Altos mayor speak, I decided I wanted to be the mayor.”

Former Mayor Francis La Poll, in fact, was in the first LEAD class, had the same reaction Bickerton did and eventually became the mayor. He now serves on the city council.

“I’d recommend LEAD to anyone who cares about their town,” Bickerton said.

Los Altos natives find they have plenty to learn at LEAD. Third-generation Los Altan Alex Myers practices law on Main Street and will head the local chamber of commerce next year. He is also a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club.

“I saw the announcement about LEAD in the paper and would say I joined more to be more effective in the volunteer activities I am already involved with, rather than to initiate new ones,” Myers said. “I saw Marge Bruno walk by my house one day, and I asked her what that LEAD thing was, and she said, ‘You’re in, we need one more person.’” Each class is composed of about 25 members.

“What LEAD does is show me all the different parts of the community — the big picture. It helps me in my work as an attorney, as well, because I can see that if I need to accomplish something locally, then I know whom to talk to,” Myers said.

“You learn who’s in charge of what, who you need to talk to in order to get things done,” Cameron Hamblin agreed. She, too, grew up in Los Altos, but moved away for some years. Now she’s back with her husband, raising a young family in her hometown.

“This is a chance for me to get reacquainted with the local school district, the non-profits and city services,” she said of her 2002-03 LEAD experience. “I got a big boost from hearing about the elementary schools getting reconstructed, because I was afraid they were just like they’d been when my 39-year-old sister started school here.”

The youngest LEAD member this year is Herb Marshall. At 26, he works with a local contractor, building and remodeling homes, and is already a member of the Los Altos Rotary Club. He’s their youngest member, too.

“I’ve lived in Los Altos most of my life, but I never knew much about so many worthwhile programs, like the Alpha/Omega program for the local homeless, CHAC (the Community Health Awareness Council in Mountain View), the Bus Barn Stage Company, the history museum and the programs at the YMCA — this shows me how a small town works,” Marshall said.

Marshall believes that the networks of people and organizations that he’s learning about at LEAD classes will serve him well, wherever he moves in the future. “This is information I will be able to share and take to another place if I leave Los Altos,” he said.

He likes the fact that LEAD meets just one evening a month, which easily fits into his work schedule, and that LEAD organizers don’t push support for specific organizations. “They’re just interested in having people get interested in their community,” he said.

Janet and John Corrigan (she is an attorney with Intel Corporation; he is the director of business and product development for AOL Time Warner) learned about the class in the Los Altos Parks and Recreation Department brochure.

“We discovered that what makes Los Altos so special is that residents are willing to take responsibility and get involved — and we want to do everything we can to preserve Los Altos’ strong community as our child grows up,” John said. “We genuinely like the people in the program and the people running the program — it never fails that everyone bursts out laughing over something during a meeting. We’ve both had experience with leadership training programs before, and so this aspect took us by surprise.”

Lear said that when she and Penny Lave started LEAD, they were well aware of the existence of leadership programs in neighboring communities, most of which charge more than $1,000 per year and require quite a bit of time from participants, including weekends.

“When we started, we knew we wanted to do it the Los Altos way — with an all-volunteer organizing group,” Lear said. “And for the first five years we didn’t charge participants anything; for the last few years, we charge $50 to cover supplies.”

They presented their initial proposal to the Los Altos Community Foundation board in 1994, asking for $1,000 to pay startup expenses.

“The LEAD program used the foundation as a platform or a vehicle where it could get started,” recalled Roy Lave, chairman of the community foundation. “It fit so well with our goals of community-building and support of local public service projects that we have supported it since its inception.”

The foundation presents each LEAD participant with a copy of John Gardner’s book “On Leadership,” and the new edition of the book the foundation helped publish, “Los Altos: Portrait of a Community.”

The subject of leadership is important at every monthly LEAD meeting. In fact, presenters are usually the leaders of the organizations and agencies they describe. But leadership as a separate topic is also addressed.

Last month’s session featured Bob Rossi of www.iBuildCommunity.com in Los Altos, who spent 10 years working with the late, legendary Gardner, founder of the citizens advocacy group Common Cause. Rossi took the LEAD class through a series of small-group exercises to analyze and define successful leadership, a skill that can be taught.

“I’ve read all of your biographies,” Rossi said. “You represent a collection of talents which make this community so special.”

A few days later, Myers said that LEAD founders and Roy (who attends most sessions) demonstrate effective community leadership skills every month.

“They live what Bob Rossi described,” Myers said.

“This course fills a need that nobody knew was there,” Lear said. “Of course, we hope to introduce potential volunteers and leaders to public service opportunities, but offering a general introduction to community organizations is an important goal, as well.”

Sometimes the leap into public service happens immediately.

“A recent highlight for me happened last year when Jim Thurber, chairman of the Los Altos/Los Altos Hills Library Commission, spoke at LEAD and immediately Maura McNulty (of Los Altos Hills) spoke up,” Lear said. “She said, ‘That’s for me,’ because it reflected what she believed in and what she could manage with her busy family schedule.”

McNulty learned there was an opening on the commission, applied, and was appointed. At the February 2003 LEAD meeting, she presented the profile of the library commission and opportunities for library volunteers.

“You don’t always realize what effect you will have,” Lear said. “But the broad age range and broad range of interests among class members make every year different and exciting.”

Reservations are being accepted for LEAD. For more information, e-mail Marge Bruno at