Wednesday, July 23 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM Workshops
From Conflict to Connection: Transforming Leadership Through Dialogue and Listening • Sara Fairley-Luna | Leadership Fort Worth, TX
In an era where leadership demands empathy, resilience, and trust-building, the ability to transform conflict into connection is more critical than ever. This dynamic, hands-on workshop offers leadership program professionals practical strategies to navigate difficult conversations, foster inclusive dialogue, and build stronger teams through active listening.
Participants will explore real-world techniques for reframing conflict, facilitating inclusive conversations, and enhancing relational trust. Attendees will leave with ready-to-implement tools and exercises to enrich leadership development programming and empower participants to lead with greater emotional intelligence and impact.
About the Speaker: Sara Fairley-Luna is the Senior Program Director for Leadership Fort Worth. Before joining LFW, Sara began her career as a Case Manager for Refugee Services at Catholic Charities Fort Worth, which motivated her to learn about transforming conflict and understanding peace-building tactics. Following graduate school, she moved overseas and spent a year living in a Monastery in Myanmar, developing and disseminating training curricula for adult learners. Sara returned to Fort Worth in 2018 to support a local political race and to bring meaningful and impactful change to her hometown.
Most recently, she was the Chief Social Programs Officer with RAICES, one of the largest legal nonprofits in Texas, where she created a department, launched three new social service programs, increased case management capacity, and invested in the leadership of her team. Sara believes relationship building is central to leadership. She always brings a sense of curiosity with her personally and professionally. She is an avid reader, dabbles in creative projects, loves visiting and supporting local art in Fort Worth, and spoils her dog, Harley. She holds a Bachelor's in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master's Degree in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding. Sara has lived and worked in Vermont, Washington, D.C., Myanmar, and San Antonio.
Youth Voice, Choice, and Power: Mindsets, Strategies, and Evaluation for Youth Programs • Hannah Jarman + Rachel Humphrey | Leadership Tulsa, OK
Are you looking to better engage young people in leadership programming, or expand your current youth offerings with purpose and impact? This interactive workshop explores how to center youth voice, foster authentic engagement, and create safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces for young leaders. Participants will gain practical tools and strategies drawn from Tulsa Changemakers’ nationally recognized programming and will engage in hands-on activities designed to apply these concepts in real time.
Whether you're launching a new youth initiative or refining an existing one, this session will leave you with the mindsets, frameworks, and evaluation approaches needed to amplify youth leadership in your community.
A
bout the Speakers: Hannah Jarman is a Program Director with Tulsa Changemakers - a program of Leadership Tulsa, OK. She moved from the south suburbs of Chicago to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2017 with Teach for America to teach 6th and 7th grade social studies. After teaching both middle school and 4th grade over the course of five years, Hannah transitioned to her dream job at Tulsa Changemakers. She loves seeing the intersection between civic advocacy and youth voice, choice, and power. In her free time, she loves to read fantasy/science fiction books and go to her favorite boxing gym.
Rachel Humphrey has been a classroom educator for the last ten years at Council Oak Elementary in Tulsa Public Schools. Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY, she moved to Tulsa to attend the University of Tulsa in 2008, where she was a member of the women's rowing team. After graduating with her Bachelor's in Elementary Education, she began teaching 5th grade at Council Oak. While teaching, Rachel was involved in various after-school programs and positions.
Most recently, she was a Changemakers coach and was inspired by the work being done throughout the program. In her classroom, Rachel put an emphasis on student voice, building community, and collaboration. She is passionate about empowering youth to find and use their voices to impact their communities. She is excited to join the Changemakers team! Rachel is married to Brian Humphrey, and together they are proud parents of Evelyn, Violet, and Bennett.
Innovation through Collaboration • Lisa Kim + Tim Payne | Leadership Howard County, MD
Nobody knows everything, but everybody knows something. Some of the most valuable experiences to be had at ALP conferences come from the connections formed with other participants about their successes and challenges. In this interactive workshop, bring your questions, ideas, and best practices for all aspects of Community Leadership Programs, and let's workshop new ideas. From recruitment to alumni engagement, program creation to marketing—bring a specific challenge and also your success stories.
Participants will prioritize challenges, group by similar themes, and take turns giving and receiving help by tapping into the vast pool of talent and perspectives of our peers.
This exchange will be facilitated through the lens of design thinking activities, and participants will leave with new ideas and tools for further ideation with their home teams.
About the Speakers: Lisa Kim is the Senior Program Manager of Leadership Howard County, responsible for coordinating all aspects of their flagship program, Leadership Premier. She has over 25 years of advocacy, programming, fundraising, and community outreach experience for various non-profit organizations. With a master's degree in Social Work, Lisa uses her expertise in interpersonal and group dynamics to pursue her passion for collaborative team and community building. Lisa believes strongly in service leadership, with which she hopes to empower and lift all voices.
Tim Payne is the President and CEO of Leadership Howard County, where he champions community engagement and leadership development. With a deep commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation, Tim empowers individuals and organizations to make a meaningful impact in Howard County and beyond. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded its programs, strengthened alumni connections, and advanced its mission to inspire, connect, and transform community leaders. Tim brings decades of experience in strategic leadership, nonprofit management, and community building. A dedicated advocate for lifelong learning, he is passionate about cultivating leaders who drive positive change and create thriving communities.
Local Program, Global Impact: Amazon Community Leadership Cohort Case Study • Lydia Landrey | Amazon + Jaxon Riley | Leadership Spokane, WA
What happens when a Fortune 100 company commits to ongoing local engagement through a Community Leadership Program? This insightful case study explores the three-year partnership between Amazon’s Community Leadership Cohort and Leadership Spokane—and how it has led to measurable impact both within the Spokane community and inside Amazon’s regional teams.
In this session, you’ll hear how participating in leadership programs has shaped local company culture, driven employee engagement, and aligned Amazon’s regional operations with community priorities. Discover how Leadership Spokane customized their programming to serve a unique employer audience while maintaining a commitment to civic leadership. Attendees will also walk away with tools to sharpen their own value proposition and recruitment messaging—key elements for developing or deepening employer partnerships that are mutually beneficial and sustainable.
This session is ideal for anyone looking to:
- Strengthen recruitment pipelines through corporate engagement
- Position their programs as an upskilling and talent retention opportunity for employers
- Demonstrate measurable impact within community and workplace ecosystems
About the Speakers: Lydia Landrey supports the Amazon Community Leadership Cohort, a growing network of Amazon Operations leaders committed to investing in their local communities through skilled volunteering, nonprofit partnership, and participation in local Community Leadership Programs. A proud Pacific Northwesterner, Lydia graduated from the University of Washington and started her career with United Way of King County-- eventually building one of the largest AmeriCorps National Service cohorts in the state and developing cross-sector partnerships to address hunger, housing and education disparities across the greater Seattle Area. While living in Washington, Lydia served as development chair on the board of the YMCA Social Impact Center, where she supported Get Engaged, a joint venture with the City of Seattle to place young people on boards and commissions across the city.
Over the past five years at Amazon, Lydia has focused on talent acquisition and development, employee experience and wellbeing, and community engagement initiatives. Lydia now lives in Portland, OR, with her public servant husband, giant dog, and fearless kitten. She will gladly provide you with recommendations for some of the best hikes, wineries, and food truck pods in the country.
Jaxon Riley has been employed by Leadership Spokane in some capacity since the fall of 2014. She is currently the Executive Director of this venerable organization, which has been proudly creating Servant Leaders in the city of Spokane since 1982. She has over 30 years of experience in adult education, training, and human resources for various organizations in the northwest. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in communication and leadership from Gonzaga University.
Jaxon has a passion for service to our community, the military, and animals. She completed 4 years of service as an Honorary Commander for Fairchild AFB 336th TRG and was inducted as an Honorary Commander Emeritus for the Base. Jaxon also currently serves as an Air Education and Training Civic Leader with the United States Air Force. She served on the board of the Spokane Humane Society, volunteered at SCRAPS, and is currently on the board of the Gonzaga University School of Business Advisory Board and the Perry Street Thursday Market. She is also the devoted guardian to 4 splendid, beautiful, canine family members and a lucky partner to her brilliant engineer husband.
Big Impact, Small Staff: Transforming Alumni Engagement and Sponsorship Growth • Amy Murfello | Leadership Geauga, OH
When you're working with a small team, every move has to count. This session dives into how Leadership Geauga transformed its alumni engagement and sponsorship strategies, despite limited staff capacity - by leaning into creativity, consistency, and community connections. Attendees will explore proven approaches for producing high-impact events, strengthening alumni networks, and growing sponsor relationships without burning out their teams.
Through real-life examples and lessons learned, this session will walk you through scalable marketing strategies, streamlined event logistics, and techniques for increasing engagement and strengthening community connections. Whether you're a one-person team or part of a small-but-mighty staff, you’ll walk away with practical tools and fresh ideas to elevate your alumni programming, attract new funding partners, and deepen your organization’s community impact.
About the Speaker: Amy Murfello is the Marketing and Outreach Manager for Leadership Geauga. She holds an associate's degree in accounting technology and a bachelor's in business administration from Kent State University. Amy began her career in marketing and community outreach at Kent State University Regional Campuses, where she also completed Leadership Geauga's Signature Adult Program in 2017. After completing the program, she continued volunteering with Leadership Geauga before joining the organization as a full-time Marketing and Program Coordinator in October 2022. In August 2023, she was promoted to Marketing and Outreach Manager, expanding her role to include event planning, marketing, and alumni engagement. Amy resides in Northeast Ohio with her husband, Bryan, and two Labrador retrievers, Roxy and Mocha.