As a community leadership development program of the Evanston Community Foundation, Leadership Evanston equips our community with a network of citizen-leaders, skilled at visioning, collaborating, reaching consensus, empowering others, and creating and guiding change.  Our graduates bring us closer to the goal of making Evanston the best community it can be for all of its citizens. 

Building new organizations

Leadership Evanston's 2008 economic development team -- Susan Besson, RJ Coleman, George DeMet, Carolina Pfister, Paula Shapiro, Jeff Wilson, and John Zbesko -- took on the development of a farmers' market on the west side of Evanston.  The West End Market opened in June 2008 at the southeast corner of Church and Dodge and will run Saturdays from 7 am to 1 pm, offering fresh produce, baked goods, and crafts. 

Leadership Evanston alumni are significant players in not just thinking about affordable housing to support Evanston's diversity, but doing something about it.  Betty Sue Ester, LE93, is a founding member and President of Citizens' Lighthouse Community Land Trust, whose treasurer is Carol Balkcom, LE95.  Its board includes Fran Seidman, SeniorLE05. 

Also creating affordable housing is Evanston Community Development Corporation, a creative collaboration of several organizations, led by Executive Director, Keith Banks, LE05. 

Creating organizational collaboration

McGaw YMCA and the Evanston/North Shore YWCA both have histories of significant community service and community building, but didn't share a history of working together.  Monique Parsons, McGaw YMCA Vice President of Programs, and Karen Singer, YWCA Executive Director, met in the 2005 - 2006 Leadership Evanston class and found that their organizations were both concerned about addressing the challenges of diversity and discrimination.  Under the leadership of Parsons and Singer, the staff and boards of the two Y's are now working on a groundbreaking initiative to bring the Evanston community together to learn about issues of race and class and to implement strategies to address these central Evanston issues. 

Serving as an elected official

Several Leadership Evanston graduates found that their experience drew them toward running for office and that the training continues to provide a base of knowledge and skills as they serve as elected officials.  Bonnie Lockhart, LE98, and Jerome Summers, LE04, both sought and won election to the Evanston/Skokie District 65 School Board, and Rachel Hayman, LE02, serves on the District 202 School Board. 

Advocating for positive change

Beginning in 2003, Don Zeigler, LE95, and Dr. Catherine Counard, LE03, built the Evanston Citizens for Clear Air coalition, which put together a campaign to restrict smoking in Evanston.  Coalition efforts culminated in a July 2006 comprehensive city smoking ban.