The Leadership Institute of South Puget Sound is a structured, quality, tuition-based adult leadership development program, organized to prepare adults for future civic and business leadership positions.  Leadership Institute is administered by the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Kent, Greater Maple Valley/Black Diamond, Covington and the Southwest King County Chambers of Commerce.

The Leadership Institute provides participants with:

• Awareness and understanding of the unique issues and challenges facing their region
• Refinement of their personal and public leadership style and skills
• Diverse contacts and an excellent communications network
• Recognition for themselves and their organizations for addressing community needs

The Leadership Program of Instruction Includes:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Business & Technology
• Transportation
• Public Policy Issues
• Quality of Life
• City, County & State Government
• Law & Justice
• Leadership Principles & Skills
• Media, Ethics & the Power of the Press

To apply for The Leadership Institute of South Puget Sound, print out a copy of the information packet and the confidential application form.

The Leadership Institute of South Puget Sound is sponsored by the following businesses who continue their commitment to leadership development:
Auburn Regional Medical Center
The Boeing Company
Puget Sound Energy
MultiCare Health System

. . .Home

The Leadership Institute’s Class of 2012 met on the morning of January 11, 2012 at Auburn Station.  The class boarded the northbound Sounder train for Union Station in Seattle.  While aboard the Sounder Martin Young, Program Manager of Sounder Commuter Rail Operations for Sound Transit, provided an overview of commuter rail history in Puget Sound, the history of Auburn Station, and the ORCA card boarding system.  As we passed the Kent and Tukwila stations, Mr. Young provided additional background for those locations as well as general information about the existing system from Tacoma to Everett.  Mr. Young also discussed the coming service enhancements which include improved wi-fi, adding more train cars, increasing the number of train runs throughout the region, and planned new and/or improved stations.  Of particular interest were his comments that fare rates only cover about 27% of the operating expenses and that current daily ridership levels accommodate the equivalent of one full highway lane on Interstate 5.  He acknowledged that one of Sound Transit’s greatest challenges is providing adequate parking at station locations emphasizing that this is a constraint at all station locations.  He stated that if parking demands could be fully met at each station ridership volume would increase.

Once the class arrived at Union Station they were provided with a short summary of the history of the station and the competition between rail company’s to establish the Puget Sound rail terminus.  The next speaker on the day’s agenda was Joni Earl who has been the CEO of Sound Transit since 2001.  Sound Transit serves 3 counties, 54 cities, and 3 major ports.  This broad geographic area has been divided into 5 sub areas for the purposes of planning, operations, and service.  While Ms. Earl serves as CEO of the organization it is governed by an 18 member board comprised of 10 members from King County, 4 from Pierce County, 3 from Snohomish County, and the Washington State Secretary of Transportation.  In 2011 the system recorded 25 million boardings.  Ms. Earl provided the class with an explanation of Sound Transit’s budget which included a description of the funding sources which rely heavily upon specific voter approved taxes that supplement fare collection.  Economic conditions have caused tax revenues to fall far short of previous forecasts.  Faced with a 25% shortfall in revenue, Sound Transit has been forced to scale back and/or delay capital development of the system.

Ms. Earl provided the class with an overview of the history Sound Transit, the voter approved tax referendums that fund the capital development of the system, the general organizational structure of Sound Transit, and the budgetary constraints that the organization faces.  Ms. Earl acknowledged and discussed the challenges that have faced Sound Transit and the methods she has employed in leading her staff and the region through these difficult times.  She discussed the importance of being as transparent and honest as possible in the face of difficult decision making, especially where the outcome is likely to disappoint specific sectors of the community and she discussed her main tenants of leadership which can be summarized as clarity, integrity, transparency, accountability, and communication.

After lunch, Deputy King County Executive Fred Jarrett provided the class with a presentation on County government organization and the efforts that are being employed to create a more efficient county organization with the goal of providing the same level of service without raising taxes.  Mr. Jarrett discussed the diversity of county government which includes managing a $5 billion budget, operating the State’s largest bus system, the State’s second largest prison system, a geographically diverse and large police force, and operating a countywide sewage system.  He indicated that there is substantial room for enhancing efficiencies in county government but it needs to be handled in a manner that continues to serve 39 cities, a workforce that is 90% unionized, and that maintains a balanced budget while continuing to provide a high level of service. 

Mr. Jarrett spent time talking about how he and the County Executive’s office lead through these challenging economic conditions.  He emphasized his belief that participation is critical, that leader’s need to set the example, and that you can’t force  employees to be motivated – you must create and foster an environment where they are compelled to motivate themselves.