Session 1:
On Thursday, August 27, and Friday, August 28, the Educate 2 Lead (E2L) program officially kicked off the first session of its third cohort at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens in Los Angeles, CA.
Nancy Huynh (LADWP), an E2L participant, welcomed her 16 colleagues with a land acknowledgment, recognizing our connection and responsibility to the land and water that sustain our communities.
The session with Self-Awareness, led by Dr. Jeremy Hunter, Founding Director of the Executive Mind Leadership Institute at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, and co-led by Heather Dyer, General Manager of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. The session emphasized the importance of caring for oneself and explored how self-awareness and personal well-being can influence leadership, relationships, and the ability to effectively support a team.
The cohort was also welcomed by WELL and CAAWEF staff, along with faculty and executives who joined the session, including Martha Tremblay, Assistant General Manager at the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, and Liji Thomas, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).
The first day concluded with a cohort dinner, providing participants with an opportunity to connect and network with their colleagues and faculty, including Heather Dyer; Dr. Adrian Hightower, Sustainability and Resilience Manager at MWD; and Dr. Jeremy Hunter.
On the second day, we introduced Transcendental Meditation, guided by Laura Juarez, Workforce Development Engagement Manager at WELL. The practice provided participants with an opportunity to pause, reset, and cultivate greater mental clarity and self-awareness.
Participants then transitioned into the day’s next leadership topic, Leading with a DEI Lens: Unconscious Bias, led by Liji Thomas and co-led by Martha Tremblay and Stephan Tucker, General Manager of the Water Replenishment District. Throughout the session, participants explored the value of leading with inclusion, identified the key traits of inclusive leadership, and began building practical skills to apply these principles within their organizations and teams.
Prior to the session, participants completed the LeAD Labs LeADself Assessment, which gauges participants’ attitudes and perceptions related to their development as leaders. On Friday, participants were guided through interpreting their results and began the coaching process of developing goals to strengthen areas for growth while continuing to build upon their leadership strengths.
The day concluded with a journaling session, allowing participants to reflect on the lessons and experiences from the previous two days. Participants were also introduced to their accountability buddies, who will serve as a source of support and encouragement throughout the program, alongside WELL and CAAWEF staff.
In keeping with WELL’s culture, we concluded the two-day session in unity by singing “De Colores,” a traditional movement song that celebrates community, connection, and coming together in solidarity.