Fountain Hills Leadership Academy

Identifying a new generation of creative leaders

This comprehensive experience, sponsored by the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association, is designed to develop better-informed citizens. The eight-week program offers an extensive immersion into the town’s governmental processes, civic and community services, public safety, and environmental management. Along the way, participants will meet community leaders and share ideas about the future of Fountain Hills. Classes take place each year from September through November.

CONTACT EMAIL

fhcca.leadership.academy@gmail.com

Our Mission

To identify current and emerging leaders in Fountain Hills and deepen their knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing our community. The Alumni members shall focus on serving and impacting positive change in Fountain Hills.

Academy Program

The annual Fountain Hills Leadership Academy program kicks off its application process each spring. “The application deadline for the 2023 Leadership Academy was May 17, 2023. Please consider applying for next year!”

To apply for the program, use the Apply Now button to access the online application form. We encourage you to be thoughtful in your responses, as candidate scores are partially based on the clarity of their written responses. In addition to the online application, candidates will be invited to participate in an interview. Both the online application and the interview are required for program consideration.

Apply Now

ACADEMY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

ACADEMY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY BOARD

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY BYLAWS

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Local Fountain Hills businesses are encouraged to support the Leadership Academy by sponsoring one of the program days, and/or one of the meals provided for the sessions, with a donation of $250 or more. Sponsors will be recognized in program materials and invited to join the session they’ve sponsor so they can highlight their business.

ACADEMY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The Fountain Hills Leadership Academy is a rewarding program that extends well beyond the initial weekly class sessions and progressively leads to becoming a part of the growing Alumni Community. Each year, the Academy accepts only 15-20 candidates. Throughout the program, each participant is expected to be fully committed and fulfill the following requirements:

Actively participate in the initial 8-week course. Classes are held once per week, generally 8 am to 1 pm, but may go longer. With the exception of illness or family emergency, absences are generally not permitted.
Conceptualize, research and present a Project that identifies a solution for an area of our community that may be improved. Projects may be done individually or as teams with fellow program participants.
Volunteer to assist—as a team—with the annual Poinsettia Tree project, an FHCCA fundraiser, including promotion, sales, resource coordination and project execution.
Lead, plan and carry out —from beginning to end—the entire Leadership Academy experience for the next year’s incoming class. This will include a series of planning meetings, starting shortly after graduation and continuing through November of the following year. All class members will automatically become a part of the Planning Committee responsible for overseeing and coordinating the next Leadership class including:
- Establishing the weekly class schedule
- Proctoring class sessions
- Coordinating speakers
- Engaging sponsors
- Managing the entire program experience from the candidate’s application to graduation
Maintain an annual membership in the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association (FHCCA) also known as iLoveFountainHIlls.org

Once accepted in the program, you will receive a welcome letter from the Leadership Academy Board of Directors. To register for the Leadership Academy program, payment of a non-refundable $250 tuition fee is required. The fee covers an initial year of membership in FHCCA, the Leadership Academy program materials and also partially offsets other class related costs.