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Who Is in the Room?
A city clerk. A public works director. A Michelin-starred restaurateur. A special education teacher. A cemetery sales director. A retired Navy special warfare combat crewman...
Many have lived in San Mateo County all their lives and now serve the communities that raised them. Others came here from Kazakhstan, Mumbai, El Salvador, Hong Kong, China, and India. Together, they bring deep roots, global perspectives, and a shared investment in the future of San Mateo County.
These are the leaders in the Class of 2027.
When Leadership Council San Mateo County was founded, Co-Founders Kaarin Hardy and Margi Power began with a belief: the County’s most complex challenges cannot be solved by any one organization, community, or sector. Progress requires bringing together people with different expertise, backgrounds, and lived experiences, reflecting the richness of our region.
The Class of 2027 reflects that founding commitment. On September 10 and 11, 84 leaders from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors gathered for the two-day Opening Session of the Leadership CORPS and Emerging Leaders Immersion Programs. They arrived with different experiences and perspectives, but a shared desire to strengthen their leadership and contribute to the future of the County.
Relationships Are Infrastructure
Opening Session is foundational to our Immersion Programs, incorporating leadership skill-building, civic learning, and reflection on participants’ roles in their organizations and communities. Woven throughout the two days was a central priority for the year ahead: building relationships.
Leadership Council SMC alumnus,South San Francisco Councilmember, and former Mayor Eddie Flores reminded the class that civic engagement is not limited to running for office or speaking at a public meeting. It begins with listening, building trust, and using one’s lived experience to advocate for others.
“Relationships are infrastructure,” Eddie told the class.
During one session, thirteen alumni returned to share how relationships developed through their own Immersion Program experiences continue to shape their leadership and community involvement.
The messages resonated. Participants’ reflections showed that connections within the Class of 2027 were already taking hold:
“Loving the new relationships I am building thanks to the awesome group you have assembled, and the culture of connection your sessions foster.”
At the Welcome Reception, alumni, board members, sponsors, and partners gathered to celebrate the Class of 2027 and welcome its members into the broader Leadership Council SMC community.
From Purpose to Possibility
Opening Session invited participants to look inward and consider what drives their leadership. Through reflection, conversation, and practical exercises, members of the class articulated their personal leadership purpose and connected it to how they use their time, energy, and influence. One participant reflected:
“I came for professional reasons and am now excited that I can see I will get as much from it personally as professionally. Didn’t expect that!”
They looked outward too. They expanded their understanding of the systems, people, and institutions shaping San Mateo County. County Executive Mike Callagy, County Superintendent-Elect Héctor Camacho Jr., County Health Chief Colleen Chawla, and Undersheriff Chris Hsiung shared perspectives on public leadership, community needs, and the responsibilities that come with serving the County.
Participants also explored how assumptions influence what leaders believe is possible. They considered how they can help shape the future of their organizations and communities, rather than simply respond to change.
They practiced listening with curiosity, engaging across differences, and recognizing how their own experiences shape the way they enter a conversation. As one participant wrote:
“The most impactful learning from today was practicing understanding vs. reactivity. Approaching with curiosity vs. judgment.”
Together, these experiences helped participants reflect on their civic identities and their roles in leading change.
What Will They Build Together?
Even before the two days ended, new relationships were creating possibilities.
One participant began planning an opportunity for classmates to visit a local school and explore potential partnerships. Others left inspired to engage more deeply in civic life or begin acting on ideas they had been carrying. One participant captured the energy of the experience:
“I’m in a bit of shock with how inspired to act I am after only the first day. I’ve had a nascent idea forming in my mind for some time. I’m inspired to begin writing down the ideas and moving towards some action on it.”
Opening Session was only the beginning. Over the next ten months, the Class of 2027 will continue developing leadership skills, deepening civic knowledge, and building meaningful relationships across the County.
As Margi told the class:
“Ten months from now, some of you will have built something together that does not exist yet.”
The relationships are already taking shape. We cannot wait to see what the Class of 2027 builds together.
