What happens when four San Mateo County Chamber CEOs, each focused on serving their own city, step back from day-to-day operations and invest in their leadership?

They now operate differently, with access, speed, and insight that produce better results, including stronger partnerships and faster progress on their initiatives.

Susan Baker (Burlingame), Felicia Leong (Daly City/Colma), Mary Prem (South San Francisco), and Crystal Tilton (Foster City) are part of Leadership Council SMC’s Leadership CORPS Class of 2026.

For many business leaders, the question is simpler: Is a 10-month leadership development program worth the time?

From Busy to Intentional Leadership

Running a Chamber means constant motion. Supporting businesses, solving problems, and responding to immediate needs leaves little time to step back.

Committing to a 10-month program requires intention, and for these leaders, the reason was clear: growth is part of the job.

Mary Prem:
“It’s easy to get stuck in operations. If I’m going to ask businesses to grow, I need to keep growing too.”

Crystal Tilton:
“If you don’t continue to grow and learn, you become stagnant. We work so deeply in our communities. We can’t serve them well without growing ourselves.”

Susan Baker:
“This opportunity to personally grow and better understand how our County operates brings credibility to our work in the community.

Through CORPS, these leaders are becoming more intentional in how they lead. They are strengthening decision-making, taking time to reflect, and focusing on long-term impact.

Relationships That Create Access

Leadership CORPS brings together senior leaders from business, government, and nonprofit organizations across San Mateo County. That mix is intentional. It creates direct access to people and perspectives most leaders do not have in their day-to-day work, and it significantly speeds relationship-building and coordination.

Felicia Leong:
“If we didn’t go to Leadership CORPS and spend this time together, it would have taken longer to create what we’ve created.”

Mary Prem:
“This is not traditional networking. These are working relationships that make collaboration faster and more effective.”

Breaking Down Silos and Getting Results

The value of those relationships shows up quickly. Leaders are no longer navigating County and community systems from the outside. They know whom to call, how things work, and how to move ideas forward. In addition, having four Chamber CEO included in this year’s CORPS program created a unique opportunity. While each serves a different community, their perspectives, strengths, and challenges vary, making their collaboration especially valuable to their members and the County.

Susan Baker:
“Now that I’ve been in class with our local nonprofit and government leaders, it’s easier for me to reach out. That, for me, is invaluable.”

That shift is already producing results. The Chambers are partnering more closely and reaching out to other community organizations. Initiatives are expanding across the region. Ideas are moving faster because the person-to-person connections are stronger than ever. 

For example, after reconnecting at Leadership CORPS, these CEOs convened a series of meetings of their Chambers, SAMCEDA, and the San Francisco Peninsula, accelerating regional collaboration. The time these CEOs spent together in the CORPS program deepened their relationships and trust, allowing them to move from conversation to action much more quickly.

Susan Baker: 

“After our meetings, Flavors of the Peninsula, a 10-day celebration of the region’s diverse food, became more of a County-wide initiative that we all supported. If we want our Chamber members to work collaboratively, we need to model that ourselves. We are the example.”

Another event, the City of South San Francisco Chamber’s 2026 Sunset Soirée in February, had a record turnout due to the partnership between these CEOs. 

This event was originally envisioned by Mary through her involvement with the Skyline College President’s Council as a way to give the college greater exposure and bring Chamber members and local residents together. Early collaboration included South San Francisco and Daly City/Colma, with Burlingame and Foster City joining this year as the partnership expanded.

Mary Prem:

“This year’s Sunset Soirée was a great example of what collaboration can do. The beautiful Farallon Room was buzzing with conversation, new connections, and plenty of great food and wine, with each Chamber team showcasing their city’s member restaurants, giving guests a true taste of North County all in one place. When Chambers work together, the entire region benefits.”

Felicia Leong:  

“Community engagement is the foundation of local business growth. By showing up to meetings and events, we secure our place as vital stakeholders in the County’s future.”

‍Better Insight. Better Decisions.

Leadership CORPS gives leaders a clearer understanding of how the County operates and where it is heading, which strengthens their decision-making. For example, at Learning Days, these CEOs learned key historic SMC demographic data and future population, housing, and transportation trends that they can use to inform their work with members and stakeholders. They have learned how local systems work across the County, resources that are available, and how to use data and better support their members. They have access to data on housing, workforce, and economic trends that they didn’t have before.

Crystal Tilton:

“We don’t know what we don’t know. This class brings us valuable information we wouldn’t otherwise have, and that influences decision-making.”

Mary Prem:

“I learned that many service workers who support our local businesses can’t afford to live in San Mateo County and commute in every day. It opened my eyes to how much housing affects our workforce. I’ve shared that with members and local leaders when discussing the need for more affordable housing and better transit.”

Felicia Leong:
“When that data comes out of my mouth, people ask, ‘Where did you learn that?’ It’s powerful.”

Instead of reacting to change, leaders are better equipped to anticipate it and guide others.

Is It Worth the Time?

One day a month is a meaningful commitment. For these CEOs, the return is clear:

• Stronger leadership
• Faster partnerships
• Better decision-making

This is not just professional development. It is a strategic investment in how they operate as leaders and deliver results. They are applying what they’ve learned in tangible ways.

Mary Prem:

“I used to move quickly and handle things myself to get results. Through Leadership CORPS, I’ve learned to slow down, listen more, and bring the right voices to the table early. A recent example was planning our Scholarship Luncheon, where involving board members, ambassadors, sponsors, and community partners earlier led to stronger ideas, more buy-in, and better outcomes.”

Susan Baker:

“As a result of being in Leadership CORPS, I’ve become more intentional about how I communicate with staff and structure our work. I place a stronger emphasis on accountability while valuing each team member’s input, which has led to more thoughtful and effective decision making, and ultimately better results.”

Felicia described the simple yet powerful tool she now uses to move decisions forward quickly: ”Using the ‘I propose XYZ’ language is so valuable. It focuses the conversation and moves people to action.”

Why Leadership Development Matters Now

San Mateo County is evolving. Businesses are navigating complexity across sectors, industries, and communities. The challenges cannot be solved in silos.

Leadership Council SMC’s Leadership CORPS Program, and their Emerging Leaders Program for early to mid-career leaders, equip participants with the relationships, knowledge, and perspective needed to move forward with clarity and confidence.

For business leaders considering the next step, the question may not be whether to invest the time. It may be whether they can afford not to.