RFP for Lead Now community impact projects due Oct. 1
(FLINT, Mich., Sept. 22, 2021) – Nine local professionals have been selected to participate in Lead Now Flint & Genesee, an introspective leadership development program offered through Flint & Genesee Group.
The participants in the seventh cohort, which kicked off Sept. 17, work and/or live in Genesee County and have experience in the private, public or nonprofit sectors.
“Over the last 18 months, leaders have been presented with situations that they haven’t encountered before – leading their teams via remote communications and empowering their employees during uncertain times,” said Brianna Mosier, director of Organizational Development at Flint & Genesee Group. “This year’s Lead Now cohort will have the opportunity to reflect on that experience and implement what they learn in real time.”
As part of the Lead Now program, each participant will undergo in-depth leadership assessments, one-on-one coaching and monthly training sessions. They will learn how to leverage different behaviors to effectively create a vision, develop followership, implement said vision and achieve results.
Participants in the 2020-21 cohort include:
- Latrese Brown (Flint), City of Flint
- Matthew Clark (Flint), Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority
- Sophia Eldridge (Grand Blanc), Meraki Hair Team
- Samantha Klasklow (Flint), Kettering University
- Dr. Kimberly Leverette (Grand Blanc), Flint & Genesee Education & Talent
- Cindy Thornthwaite (North Branch), GST Michigan Works!
- Amy Watts (Holly), Flint & Genesee Education & Talent
- Vivian Williams (Flint), 100K Ideas
- Kady Yellow (Flint), What’s Up Downtown Project
A key component of Lead Now is its community impact project, which allows the cohort members to put what they’ve learned into real-world practice. For example, the 2020 group opted to work with the Good Church in Flint, in laying the groundwork to start an affordable community laundromat in its basement. The project involved strategy, fundraising and marketing, and left the church with a solid plan to follow after the program ended.
To identify this year’s project, the program has issued a Request for Proposal, open to 501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies in Genesee County. Project submissions for the 2021-22 RFP will be reviewed by the Lead Now alumni advisory committee and narrowed down to three finalists. These organizations will then present their project ideas to the Lead Now cohort on Friday, Nov. 12. Following this session, the Lead Now cohort will select one organization to work with for the year.
To submit your proposed project, please complete this application and return via email to by or before Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.
To learn more about Lead Now, visit flintandgenesee.org/leadnow.
Individual headshots available upon request.