MEMORANDUM
CITY OF BURBANK
CITY
MANAGER'S OFFICE
DATE: May 21, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Courtney Padgett, Assistant Cily Manager CRadgett BY: Cathryn LaBrado, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Budget Discussion Paper - Leadership Burbank Funding Request
BACKGROUND
At the May 7, 2024, City Council meeting, Mayor Schultz and Council Member Mullins requested a discussion paper on a funding request from Leadership Burbank.
Leadership Burbank is a non-profit organization that has provided professional development for the city's current and emerging leaders since 1995. Their nine-month leadership program is designed to enhance personal and professional skills and provide participants with a deeper understanding of community dynamics. Sessions are led by experienced facilitators and address topics such as social justice, conflict management, public safety, economic viability, and the environment. Each cohort includes participants from across various sectors of the city, including the business community, health care, City staff, non-profit organizations, school district employees, and more.
DISCUSSION
Leadership Burbank has graduated over 500 participants from the program, with just over 100 being City employees. Additionally, each Leadership Burbank class completes a community project based on current needs in the city as well as agreed upon class values.
Class projects for the past five years include:
• 2024 - A Cause for Paws: Includes a new dog run and additional social/adoption areas for the Burbank Animal Shelter.
• 2023 - Reuse, Refill, Rethink: Replaced water fountains with bottle filling stations in 11 elementary schools in the Burbank Unified School District. • 2022 - Mess Kitchen Project: Replaced out-of-date kitchen fixtures in the kitchen of the Veterans Of Foreign Wars Hall.
• 2020 - BCR: "A Place to Grow". Resurfaced the dilapidated playground at BCR and completed other small renovations at the center.
1 • 2019 - Burbank Babies: Helped the YMCA build an additional infant center on their campus.
Leadership Burbank estimates the value of goods and services provided to the City of Burbank over the past 29 years to be over $1,000,000.
Leadership Burbank is largely run by a volunteer Board of Directors (Board). The Board recently developed a three-year strategic plan that will include the implementation of a new class facilitation model and updated curriculum. Additionally, the three-year strategic plan includes onboarding of a full-time program manager to oversee various aspects of the program and ensure Leadership Burbank's continued growth and success. The Board has indicated that the addition of a full-time program manager is critical for the organization to maintain and develop its first-class leadership program.
FISCAL IMPACT
Leadership Burbank is requesting an annual contribution of $12,000 from the City over the next three years to be dedicated to the program manager position, for a total of $36,000.
CONCLUSION
Should Council choose to support Leadership Burbank's funding request, staff recommends that the full requested amount of $36,000 be provided in Fiscal Year 2024-
25. ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 - Leadership Burbank Letter
2 -
ATTACHMENT 1
PLEADERSHIP
• BURBANK Leadership Burbank
SINCE 1995 200 West Magnolia Bivd.
Burbank, CA 91502
BOARD OF DIRECTORS April 26, 2024
BOARD OFFICERS
CHAIR Nick Schultz, Mayor
Karen Volpei-Gussow Nikki Perez, Vice Mayor
Volpei-Gussow Real Estate Konstantine Anthony, Council Member Class of 2010 Zizette Mullins, Council Member
VICE CHAIR Tamala Takahashi, Council Member
Trena Pitchford
Class of 2013
Honorable Members of the Burbank City Council,
TREASURER
Courtney Padgett Serving the City of Burbank since 1995, Leadership Burbank (LB) is a community- City of Burbank based non-profit organization that provides professional development for the city's Class of 2020 current and emerging leaders. The program offers an annual nine-month program, SECRETARY with a robust curriculum designed to enhance personal and professional skills, Jessa Freemyer foster an understanding of community dynamics, and develop a network within Cusumano Real Estate
Burbank. In addition to the course curriculum, each year the class also completes a Group
project benefitting the community.
Class of 2007
LB has graduated over 500 participants from the program and completed
BOARD MEMBERS
numerous projects providing goods and services to Burbank, at an estimated value Marisa Di Domenico
of over $1,000,000. Projects include the trees that line Whitnall Highway, an outdoor Burbank Water & Power
recreation space at BCR: A Place to Grow, water filling stations at Burbank Unified Class of 2022
schools, and this year's class project, "A Cause for Paws", installing a concrete play Anita Hutchinson
yard and fenced dog area to benefit animals at the Burbank Animal Shelter. LB UMe Credit Union
alumni are active and proud leaders and contributors throughout all facets of Jamie Keyser-Thomas
Burbank, from health care, the entertainment industry, non-profit organizations, city Burbank Chamber of
government, and more. LB alumni have also served as current and past elected Commerce
Class of 2005 officials on our city council.
Joan Marques, Ph.D., Ed.D. Now in its 29th year, LB is in an exciting position to enhance the outstanding Woodbury University foundation of the program, further the continued development of contemporary John Paramo, Ed.D. leaders for the community, and implement future projects to benefit our vibrant and Burbank Unified School
growing city. This year, Mary Alvord and Sue Georgino are retiring from their role as District
LB's long-time program facilitators. Mary and Sue have been an integral part in Class of 2016
building LB into a regionally renowned leadership program. Their contributions to the Jon Schafer
community are unmeasurable and they will be greatly missed.
Schafer Electric
Terry Walker Change also provides the opportunity to reevaluate and explore new opportunities.
Providence Saint Joseph The program is shifting to a new era, that will include implementation of a new class Medical Center facilitation model and updated curriculum. However, the LB board has identified Class of 2005
limitations in the program's ability to continue to grow in a manner conducive to sustaining a first-class leadership development program. Currently, LB is managed
MEMBER EMERITUS
Michael Walbrecht by a volunteer board of directors. While our board members are fully dedicated to Warner Bros./Discovery the program, to realize its vision, LB seeks to onboard a full-time Leadership Burbank
200 West Magnolia Bivd.
Burbank, CA 91502
position to manage the program. Working with members of the board, this position will be responsible for a variety of aspects for the program, to include:
• Researching emerging trends and challenges in leadership. • Conducting outreach with community members, businesses, and stakeholders to remain engaged in issues and priorities within Burbank.
• Continually evolving program curriculum to remain relevant and representative of contemporary issues facing today's leaders.
• Identifying opportunities to engage the program's large alumni body:
• Generating new and innovate revenue streams that benefit contributors to the program and the community.
• Enhancing program outreach and recruitment initiatives that embrace equity, inclusivity, and diversity.
• Updating internal processes and utilizing technologies that are reflective of a modern leadership organization.
• Managing the day-to-day operations of the program and various board sub-committees.
Earlier this year, the board approved a three-year strategic plan, that includes the goal of implementing this position. To achieve this goal, LB launched a fundraising campaign to support funding the position for three years. Fundraising efforts have involved engaging with stakeholders throughout the community and our vast network of LB alumni.
The City has been an essential partner with LB throughout its history. Over 100 City employees have participated in the program, City personnel have served and currently serve on the board of directors, and the City's structure, operations, and challenges are emphasized throughout the course curriculum. Many of the City's current and past leaders are LB alumni, as well as many key representatives from our business and non-profit communities who are a vital component in furthering the City's economic and cultural growth.
We are writing to request the support of the City Council to take LB to new heights through a contribution to support implementation of the program manager position. A requested contribution of $12,000 per year from the City over the next three-years (total of $36,000) would be utilized towards funding the dedicated position.
With your help, LB can continue to evolve, providing unprecedented development of leaders that will benefit the entire Burbank community for many years to come. We appreciate your consideration of this request and welcome the opportunity to meet with you to provide additional information on the position and the program's exciting future. Thank you for your service to the Burbank community and for your support of the Leadership Burbank program.
Have Vorpei Fusser
Karen Volpei-Gussow
Chair
Board of Directors Board of Directors
The mission of Leadership Burbank is to identify, educate, and motivate current and emerging leaders in Burbank to develop ideas and solutions that make Burbank a strong, sustainable, and vibrant community. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Tax ID# 91-2168014 www.LeadershipBurbank.org