Grooming the next generation of leaders: Chamber Connect program links professionals with the community.

• Author: Warren, Carrie T.
• Position: GUEST [column]

So what is leadership anyway? Over the last two years, we have had the honor of pursuing leadership at a rapid pace and to a high degree.

In 2008, we were asked by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and state Rep. Angela Williams to lead Chamber Connect, a leadership and development program of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Chamber Connect was created in 2007 by Williams, owner of Allstate/Angela Williams Agency Inc.; and Richard Lewis, president/CEO, RTL Networks.

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The opportunity presented a platform for us to grow as leaders and allowed us to take our position in the community while inspiring others to do the same. On Oct. 15, Chamber Connect added 30 graduates to its alumni body of 120.

This marked the end of our two-year commitment as co-chairs. While leading the program from 2008-2010, we were responsible for the development of more than 60 emerging leaders and have been credited for active civic/community engagement, promotions, professional maturity, and making extensive and intentional investments into the social capital of all participants.

Many have asked how we were able to achieve the success and results of the program given the fact that we have full-time demanding jobs, young families and operated the program as volunteers--on personal time.

For us, making time to inspire a diverse community of leadership was an easy decision. People make time for what's important to them. Giving back to Denver's community and ensuring that future leaders are engaged, connected and committed is our passion. It has taken a lot of time, but it is not work when it is a part of who you are; at that point, it becomes fun.

Having fun has definitely paid off with big dividends in experience and exposure. A large part of leadership are the relationships you build. In order to expose the leadership participants to movers and shakers, we had to become movers and shakers and ensure our personal access included Denver's elite.

Some of the elite that we invited to speak to the Chamber Connect participants include Gov. Bill Ritter, House Speaker Terrance Carroll, Tami Door (Downtown Denver Partnership), Tom Clark (Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.), Dawn Bookhardt (law firm Bookhardt & O'Toole), Bruce James (law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck), Tracy Huggins (Denver Urban Renewal Authority) and a host of...