Leadership Program

Program experience

What to Expect

The St. Tammany leadership program is an interactive curriculum that supports emerging and existing leaders in our community.

The 10-month program closely follows the calendar of the school year, beginning with a foundational weekend retreat in August. During this retreat, participants engage in the creation and development of a simulated society. This guided leadership initiative exposes participants to the realities of power, conflict, influence, and decision-making. 

Following this weekend retreat, participants attend nine full-day classes that include field trips throughout the parish during the remainder of the school year. These are scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month and serve two primary purposes.

  • Firstly, participants engage in a variety of leadership training exercises to enhance applicable diplomatic skills.
  • Secondly, current community leaders offer presentations on the strengths and weaknesses of our parish.

Through group discussion and hands-on experience, participants learn the makeup of St. Tammany parish and how to enact positive change within it. Our program culminates with a graduation banquet attended by program sponsors and community members.

Program Focus

Session Topics

Topics covered in these monthly sessions relate to future challenges that St. Tammany will face, including:

Arts, History, Culture & Tourism

Education

Social Services & Health Care

Political Activism & Media

Values-Based Leadership

Local Government

Judicial System & Law Enforcement

Economic Development, Planning & Growth

Testimonial

Real Results

Requirements

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted between January 1st and April 30th of each year.

The value of our curriculum is found in the diversity of members that make up each class. By having members of various occupations, age groups, and locations, our program maintains the richness and depth that creates exceptional leadership. 

Individuals interested in participating in Leadership St. Tammany must complete the necessary application. From the applications we receive, members are accepted based on the strength of their application, and the particular makeup of their class. This means that applicants may apply several times before they are accepted into the program.

Involvement

The program consists of one meeting per month. The full calendar of events is as follows: 

  • Participation at the class Induction in late July
  • Participation at the opening weekend retreat is mandatory for participation in the program. Attendance at the entire retreat is required.
  • One full-day (9 hour) session per month, September through May, usually the second Wednesday from 7:45am to 5:15pm.
  • Participation at the closing overnight retreat/graduation ceremony in late May or early June

In addition to these events, class members have the opportunity to participate in voluntary community programs and networking social events. Please contact us if you are interested in attending these events.

Attendance Policy

Our attendance policy seeks to reflect our understanding that class participants often have limited availability. Attendance is mandatory for the August retreat.

Class members are allowed to miss up to 9 cumulative hours of class time and still graduate. If a class member missed between 9 and 27 hours of class time, that individual is afforded the opportunity to make up the hours within the next two years and graduate.



Cost

Tuition for the Leadership St. Tammany class is $1,250. 

This dollar amount covers all participant expenses for the duration of the 10-month program. 

Although businesses and organizations are permitted to pay for the cost of tuition, each individual must personally pay a minimum of $100 to the cost of the program.



Frequently asked questions

Questions? We Have Answers:

Participation in the leadership program is open to citizens from all walks of life. Past program graduates include private citizens as well as people from the business community, government, law enforcement, non-profits, education, healthcare, and many other areas.

If you cannot attend the class retreat in August, you should not apply. If you apply, are selected, and suddenly find out that you cannot attend the class retreat, you will have to withdraw from the class and reapply in a subsequent year.

Attendance is critical to the success of the program and your development as a leader. As such, students are expected to attend or make up all of the classes during the class year or in the subsequent two years.

No. We no longer require recommendation letters or company approval letters. You will submit the name of the individual who recommended you to the program on your application. In addition to this information, we encourage you to discuss the program with your employer so there are no misunderstandings on the time commitment required.

Each selected member of the class pays $1,250 for tuition for the class year. This includes the cost of the initial retreat, all meals, transportation to the Capitol for the class trip in May, closing retreat, and graduation.

Yes, we offer both financial assistance and installment options that can be requested on your application. If you are selected for the class, we will discuss your request to determine the level of financial assistance needed. Also, certain local organizations sometimes offer to sponsor a selected member and pay a portion of their tuition. Additionally, we offer an installment plan with full and final payment due typically by December of the program year.

Those who have previously applied and were not selected for our program are strongly encouraged to reapply. Many class alumni were selected to participate after more than one application.

Because our program is an ongoing workshop for honing leadership skills to work effectively with diverse constituencies, the curriculum can only be successful when the class composition reflects the diversity of St. Tammany Parish. The Selection Committee selects individuals for each class to reflect the region’s geographic, age, ethnic, and professional diversity. In this way, our classes bring together individuals from all neighborhoods, interests, backgrounds, and religious sectors. Therefore, the Selection Committee reviews the whole of the class composition when selecting candidates.