Emerging Leaders Kicks Off with an Action-Packed January!

The inaugural Kari Anderson' Emerging Leaders Program started off strong in January! This first-ever cohort is comprised of 20 diverse members representing different companies, positions, ages and experience levels. Each member was identified as a current and future leader that will be on the forefront of taking our industry to higher levels.

Each cohort member is assigned an industry veteran as a mentor. Over the next year of the program, the mentors and cohort will meet monthly to work on goals and the mentors will provide guidance and advice to help propel their mentee to the next level of their careeer.

Their first meeting was held on January 17th where the program was launched with a high energy mentor matching done draft style.

Following the draft, the group was treated to a one hour session with Kari Anderson. Kari is an industry legend and founding president of WMFHA. Kari's legacy of mentoring talent over her career made her the perfect choice to lend her name to this dynamic group.

They then got to participate in a very informational session on advocacy led by Carter Nelson, WMFHA's Public Affair's Manager which was comprised of a visit from Burien Mayor, Kevin Schilling. Mr Schilling gave a fantastic presentation with tips on how to interact with your local officials. Following his presentation, the group learned more about the process of turning bills to laws in Olympia and had an opportunity to role play with their peers on how to speak at congressional hearings.

The cohort was able to take this new information and head to Olympia on January 31st for WMFHA's Day On The Hill. This was the first time for many of them to attend this event. They were able to speak with their legislators and actually have an impact on some of the upcoming legislation that WMFHA is opposing.

This group is expanding their network and increasing their knowledge each day. Look out world...Here they come!

Here are some of the quotes from the cohort on their first month in the program:

"The first session exceeded my expectations. I left feeling motivated, excited, and inspired. I'm thankful to be part of this program and look forward to what's next!"

"Going into DOH I had no prior experience with political advocacy. I had a blast in Olympia, learned so much, and left with a lot more passion for the impact of advocating for our industry."

"I couldn't be more thrilled with my mentor. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share that I am ecstatic to learn and grow from."

Thank you to our Emerging Leaders Sponsors: