From the moment that I assumed The Junior League of Tampa Presidency on July 1^st, I have made a deliberate effort to continuously articulate the value of our organization to our members and the community at large.   We are trained volunteers who are developing ourselves, our organization and the communities we aim to serve.  What we are trained on, how we view our organization, and the populations we work with have had stark similarities and nuances over the past 92 years.

The challenge and opportunity in leading 2,000 women is not lost on me.  Our membership spans three generations.  Each generation has faced their own set of challenges and views the world differently.  At our Executive Board meeting last week, we considered sponsoring a member for a recognized leadership program, Leadership Tampa.  Our Sustainer At Large shared that JLT had sponsored her, but at the time she was one of three women in the entire program. This year, we have seven Junior League members accepted into the program.   Through their participation in League programs, they have augmented their education and professional training to grow into the leaders that they are.

There are few organizations where you are thrown into the ‘deep end’ in specializations and grow from having little experience to becoming a subject matter expert over the course of a year.  I’m so proud to say that it’s what we do…whether it’s fundraising, communications strategy, grant writing, or strategic planning. If you have an interest, you can build your skills.

We have started this blog as an opportunity to highlight The Junior League’s development programs, thought leadership and community perspective.  We will discuss opportunities in women’s leadership development, unmet community needs, the evolution of Tampa and how our membership evolves with the city we love.

Welcome to our 1926 Blog!

Yours in Service,

Isabel

Isabel Dewey

President 2018-2019

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