Leadership La Plata Alumni

Pay your LLP Alumni Dues, Class Tuition Fee and LLP Sponsorship Investment

Invest in LLP - Pay Your Alum Fee

Are you an alumni & interested in serving on an LLP committee?  Email [email protected] and provide your name, class year, contact information and which committee interests you.  (see "Structure of Leadership La Plata" below for committee information)

Invest in LLP - Available Sponsorships

Your Investment in the Community -- LLP Sponsorships
As an all-volunteer organization, Leadership La Plata relies on the generosity of the community and its graduates to maintain a top quality program. Students pay tuition of $650 annually, but this dollar figure does not fully cover the out-of-pocket costs of the weekend retreat, eight class sessions, leadership skills training, recruitment receptions, graduation and more.

We welcome corporate/community sponsors of each “class” session.

Class Sponsorship $500
Retreat Sponsor  $1000
Graduation Sponsor $1000

Meal/Lunch Sponsor  $350
Coffee Sponsor  $100
​Alumni Event Sponsor $350

We are extremely grateful for any support provided by the community, and welcome your inquiries to become involved in sustaining this worthwhile and popular county-wide program.   ​Leadership La Plata thanks and honors all those who give their time, talent and treasures to enhance our community.

Available Sponsorships

About Leadership La Plata ​

History of LLP

Leadership La Plata's roots date back to 1980 when current head of the Colorado State Transportation Commission and former Bank of Colorado President, B. Stephens (Steve) Parker, moved to Durango and suggested the idea to then Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jasper Welch, now a business consultant and director of the Enterprise Center at San Juan College. Steve, who had lived and worked on the Front Range, had witnessed the success of Leadership Denver and saw the potential for a similar program in La Plata County.

Though the impetus was there, it took until 1988 when the Durango Area Chamber Resort Association (DACRA) was organized for LLP to be implemented.  Parker, Welch and Harold Green assembled the first Steering Committee comprised of individuals representing a cross-section of the county. The founding fathers and mothers wanted to ensure LLP was “community-based” and not an elite “club,” and that directive continues today. Founders include Barney Anderson, Richard Ballantine, Dan Bowser, Alice Joiner, Joel Jones, Bill Mashaw, Dave Potter, Tom Compton, Bill Gardner, Kay James and Leonel Silva. Leadership Montezuma and Leadership San Juan were subsequently created based on the La Plata model.

Now a successful and honored program of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, LLP enjoys more than 500 graduates, ranging from politicians and businesspeople, to non-profit directors and involved citizens and retirees – because leadership is needed in every aspect of a community. ​

Structure

The Structure of Leadership La Plata
Leadership La Plata is a program of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, and operates at the pleasure of its board of directors.

The “business” of LLP is overseen by the LLP Executive Committee, which includes alumni from various years of the program and Chamber staff.  The LLP Executive Committee is responsible for LLP’s fiscal health and fundraising, as well as policy development and enforcement.
The roles include chair, co-chair, secretary, treasurer, and a Chamber representative.  The LLP Leadership Coordinator joins the meetings as an ex-officio member.  
There are 10 additional committees, each made up of LLP alumni.  One member of each of these committees attends the bi-monthly Steering Committee meetings which generates the opportunity for collaboration and support.  The committees include:
* Alumni - plans events & activities for alumni
* Curriculum - advises & supports the development of monthly programming for the current class
* Data Collection - collects evidence tracking goals and progress
* Diversity - provides guidance to multiple committees & LLP as a whole to ensure a culture of belonging
* Graduation - plans the annual celebration for the current class
* Leadership - coordinates the leadership portion of the monthly classes
* Marketing - maintains communications across all outlets
* Recruitment - promotes LLP to potential new class members
* Retreat - coordinates the 3-day retreat that marks the beginning for the new class
* Selection - interviews & makes recommendations for new class members

LLP classes are facilitated each year by members of the previous year’s class. The Curriculum Committee works with class coordinators to ensure consistency, help in coordination and offer ideas.  ​

Barbara conrad Leadership award

Each year, a Leadership La Plata Alumnus is selected by a committee of previous Barbara Conrad Award recipients and honored during the Chamber's annual Durango Rocks Awards Celebration.  Learn more about the Leadership Award here.