The Oceana Community Foundation is pleased to announce the Oceana County participants selected for the 2026-27 Leadership Learning Lab (LLL), a year-long leadership development program designed to help community leaders strengthen their skills, expand their networks, and increase their impact across northern Michigan.
Selected to represent Oceana County in the 2026-27 cohort are:
- Lindsay Brown, Economic & Community Development Coordinator, City of Hart
- Heather Stephenson, Outreach Regional Coordinator, Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency
- Quaran Griffin, Community Health Coordinator, District Health Dept. #10
- Jack Boitel, Academic Advisor, West Shore Community College
- Jo Estrada-Guerra, Departmental Analyst, MDHHS, Farmworker Outreach Services
In today’s complex and rapidly changing environment, leaders are continually called upon to adapt, innovate, and respond to evolving community needs. The Leadership Learning Lab helps participants become more adaptive leaders by providing opportunities to learn, practice, and experiment with new leadership skills in a supportive environment.
The program combines monthly workshops, peer learning groups, online engagement, and cohort support throughout the year. Participants explore leadership concepts while building meaningful relationships with fellow leaders from nonprofit organizations, businesses, government agencies, and Tribal Nations across the region.
“The Leadership Learning Lab has become an important investment in the future of our communities,” said Tammy Carey, CEO. “Providing a trusted space for emerging and established leaders to grow their skills, develop their vision, and build connections across organizations creates lasting benefits for Oceana County and beyond.”
The Lab was created through the collaboration of ten northern Michigan community foundations that recognized the opportunity to achieve greater impact together than individually. Facilitated by Rotary Charities of Traverse City and funded the participating local community foundations, the program empowers nonprofit executive directors and emerging leaders with the tools and confidence needed to strengthen the organizations and communities they serve.
For leaders in Oceana, Mason, and Manistee counties, monthly workshops are hosted at the Lakeshore Resource Network in Ludington. This year’s three-county cohort will host 16 nonprofit leaders ready to kick off their first in-person meeting on September 15. The Leadership Learning Lab aligns with the Oceana Community Foundation’s commitment to supporting nonprofit capacity building and community leadership development through its Administrative Fund.
Since its inception, the program has supported 26 leaders from Oceana County serving in a wide range of professional and community leadership roles. By investing in leadership development, the Foundation continues to plant the seeds of collaboration, open communication, and shared learning among community organizations and the foundations that support them.