The 2023 Emerging Leader Fellows are beginning to prepare for a weeklong immersive course in New York City comprised of in-classroom instruction, coupled with onsite exploration in various districts throughout New York City. Now in its eighth year, the IDA ELF program has become a starting point for the next era of downtown leadership. With more than 200 alum ELFs (as they fondly call themselves), many now hold senior staff roles in their organizations, and others have become the chief executive officer (CEO). Coupled with several also earning the Leadership in Place Management Certification (LPM), the profession’s future is in great hands.
Leadership is a lifelong pursuit. In recent years almost 50 tenured CEOs expanded their learning at the CEO Retreat, help both last year and gains earlier this year. And now, for a grand return after being interrupted by the pandemic, senior executives with vast experience in North America and across the globe will attend the 2023 World Town Leadership Summit visiting the cities of London, Manchester, and York. Registration for the 2023 UK summit will open next week, where leaders from many counties will share experiences and solutions in a World Café discussion format. We will explore the current conditions of place management and the challenges facing the place management industry and discuss the tools necessary to rebuild our cities and towns.
Whether your leadership journey is just beginning, continues to evolve, or you seek to contribute and grow in an international environment, shared experiences and knowledge informed from diverse perspectives is needed if we hope to address the ever-changing future. Only through IDA can professional place leaders find a community of experts that fully understand our practice and share a common vision for shaping complete communities for all.