Meet Michelle Hess of Leadership West in West Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Hess.

Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In the early 1990s organizers came together to create a pipeline of leaders to ensure the voice of the West Valley would be heard. It was launched to educate leaders of issues facing Arizona, ensuring Leadership West would create a pool of educated leaders to lead the region for the future. Leadership West provides an intensive, nine-month program that allows participants to explore in-depth the various issues regarding the regional community that includes 15 cities and more than one million people. The program features monthly issue days exploring single topics with the information presented by industry leaders from throughout the region. Participants in each class represent some of the best leaders in the West Valley who already are making a difference.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Think you know the West Valley? Well, think again. Phoenix, Scottsdale and the East Valley are widely known as distinct destinations, but we now the West Valley has come of age and we have our own persona. According to WESTMARC, the West Valley is made up of fifteen unique communities utilizing one voice to collaborate and advocate for its residents who live and work here. They include Avondale, Buckeye, El Mirage, Gila Bend, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Peoria, Phoenix, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, Tolleson, Wickenburg and Youngtown.

Did you know?
• 1.6 million people live in the West Valley
• 40% of Phoenix residents live west of Interstate 17
• $62,775 is the average annual income for households in the West Valley
• 62% of the West Valley population is workforce age
• The population is slated to grow by over 380,000 in the next ten years.

With these current statistics, plus learning to pivot into a new territory of online learning, we are adapting to the new normal and opportunities to be creative and resourceful to help others gain leadership skills and better their communities.

Please tell us about Leadership West.
Leadership West engages, informs and inspires proven leaders in business, non-profits and government to leverage their time, talents and leadership capital to enhance the quality of life in the West Valley and Arizona. When you connect with Leadership West, you connect with distinguished, diverse, decision-makers in the community who make important things happen.

Since its inception in 1993, Leadership West, a 501(c)3, has provided broad-based community education and access to key decision-makers to leaders in virtually every aspect of the region. Our alumni are actively and effectively impacting the future of the West Valley. We are mayors and council members; school board members and educators; real estate developers; medical providers; small business owners and representatives of corporate giants; grassroots activists; media executives; non-profit directors; municipal employees; artists and architects and more. Every aspect of the region is represented.

By providing both an education and a relationship-building opportunity, Leadership West brings the “best and the brightest” together to solve community problems. We encourage you to take full advantage of getting to know the alumni and taking advantage of all the opportunities Leadership West offers, this year and forevermore.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
From our vantage point, what the West Valley will need in the coming years is leadership. As the Executive Director of Leadership West, we are geared to engage, inform and inspire leaders in business, non-profits and government to leverage their time, talents and leadership capital to enhance the quality of life in the West Valley and throughout Arizona.

According to our estimation, the West Valley is in need of over 600 leaders that have a greater understanding of how to leverage the education Leadership West offers, with the proven result of a civic mindset. We need this in order to secure our place as a premier destination for our workforce, schools, recreation and entertainment, and much more. We will need leaders to serve on the national, state and local levels. Our graduates have started at every level of their careers with community service and become involved where they feel the most needed and connected to causes that resonate with them.

Companies have invested in Leadership West by encouraging their employees to experience the benefits of the organization and in turn, they realize the return on the investment. It is this ROI that has materialized through the personal and professional development that aligns with their goals and taken their companies to the next level of engagement and success.

As the West Valley expands, we must now take action to get involved to make a difference for our communities. With twenty-seven years of leadership success under its belt, Leadership West is the toolkit that emerging leaders need. Who is the typical profile of a Leadership West candidate? The class members are as diversified as the communities they represent. From seasoned professionals to emerging leaders, all have one thing in common, the drive and desire to make a difference in their communities and connect with others who see potential in the future.

Shelby Duplessis, Leadership West past president aptly shared, “Volunteering can bring fulfillment and inspiration and give a sense of connecting with the community. From investing my time and energy in important causes, this has been a way for me to give back. As a class member and Board Chair of Leadership West, I had the opportunity to learn about my community, to network, and meet my best friends and mentors.”

According to the EF Academy Blog, “Volunteering your time to support a cause you are passionate about is something you will never regret. It will enrich your life, familiarize you with your community, and connect you to people and ideas that will positively impact your perspective for the rest of your life. Helping your community is an opportunity for you to grow as a person, and to better understand how you fit into the world around you.”

During these uncertain times, what we know to be true is the significance of connections and community service. Leadership West will provide opportunities for you to embed those by joining us in our quest to create and support leaders in the West Valley. Please take the time to visit our website, be informed, and join our Leadership West Class 27 at www.leadershipwest.org.

Pricing:

• $1,995 for our Flagship Program
• $695 for our Leadership West Institute (Leadership Training)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leadershipwest.org
• Phone: 623.498.0828
• Email: info@leadershipwest.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadershipWest/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LWAlum
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-west/?viewAsMember=true

Image Credit:
Lizmoon Photography and Karianne Munstedt Portrait

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