The rapidly-approaching election on November 3rd, will be unlike any other this country has witnessed. Some say we are in the middle of three pandemics – COVID-19, social justice and political polarization. This time has reshaped every element of the political cycle, from how campaigning…
Following the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25th, a strong current of support for the Black Lives Matter movement swept across the nation. Thousands in Greater Austin and the world took to the streets and to social media to challenge white…
Part 2: Community Resiliency: Regional Impact – A Conversation with City Managers According to a recent study by The Brookings Institute, strong local governance is a key feature of crisis management and recovery. Amidst fragmented federal and state responses to COVID-19, local government managers are…
Part 1: Community Resiliency- Supporting Our Most Vulnerable Communities In these unprecedented times, the way people band together in response to disasters is a key factor in a community’s ability to recover. An extensive study on disaster recovery by the RAND Corporation defines community resilience as the…
“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.” – Michelle Obama Despite comprising more than half of the college-educated US labor force, women are still unrepresented at a…
Power, Equity and Philanthropy The 2018 Greater Austin Civic Health Index™ report explored how the strength of a community is based on relationships with each other through giving, volunteering and being involved. Approximately 68% of Austin area residents reported donating money to charitable organizations and on average…
After Courtney Bailey (Emerge 10 – 2016) completed her Leadership Austin program, she was inspired to return as a full-time member of the staff team. Courtney says that she originally hesitated to apply to Emerge because she thought the definition of “leader” didn’t apply to…
Emilia “Emmy” Alcocer-Hill (Experience Austin 2014, Emerge 9 – 2015, Essential 40 – 2019) is one of only four people in the 40-year history of Leadership Austin to participate in all three of our core programs. Of those four people, Emmy is the only one…