Leadership St. Pete

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Saint Petersburg, FL
Leadership St. Pete

Graduating the first class in 1970, LSP is a vibrant and immersive six-month leadership program. We serve the St.

Petersburg community through our leadership program. Be a part of a great city by participating in one of the country's oldest leadership programs.

05/29/2026

Mud. Sweat. Tears (of joy). 🔨☀️

Community Project Day is where the magic happens.
After months of planning, fundraising, meetings, and behind the scenes work, the Leadership St. Pete Class of 2026 and Planning Committee came together in force to bring the LANFC Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center project to life.

From assembling furniture and shades, to painting, decking, landscaping, sports equipment, and more, the site was transformed through pure teamwork, grit, and a lot of sweat in the Florida heat.

Since January, the project has been steadily progressing behind the scenes after LANFC was selected as the Class of 2026 community project. The class split into multiple teams, from fundraising to construction and design, all working toward a shared goal.

We are deeply grateful to the local businesses contractors, and community partners who donated their time, skills, materials, advice, and support to help make this possible:
Turf: Modern Grounds
Deck materials: Decks & Docks
Deck install: Edge Marine
Pavers: Oldcastle APG
Mural: Miss Crit LLC Laura Spencer
Furniture: KI Furniture

The Leadership St. Pete Class of 2026 is proud and honored to contribute to a project that will benefit LANFC families today and for generations to come. ❤️

St Petersburg Chamber
City of St. Petersburg, Florida

05/20/2026

Policy. Perspective. Public service. 🏛️

LSP 2026 closed out the year with our Local Government Seminar, bringing the class directly into the conversations and decisions that shape our city every day.

Jeannine Williams, Chief Assistant City Attorney for the City of St. Petersburg, provided an overview of City Hall, local government structure, and the history behind city operations.

We heard from City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz, who shared her journey into public service and the realities of balancing the needs of a rapidly evolving city.

Mayor Kenneth Welch discussed leadership, growth, opportunity, and the future of St. Pete, shaped by his role as Mayor and his personal connection to the city’s history growing up in the Historic Gas Plant District.

🌊 The Infrastructure & Resiliency Panel featured Council Member Richie Floyd and Brejesh Prayman, St. Pete Director of Engineering & Capital Improvements, exploring sustainability, infrastructure investment, and preparing St. Pete for the future.

🏛️ A highlight of the day was the Mock City Council Meeting facilitated by Council Member Gina Driscoll, where the class debated a fictional city issue, appreciating the complexity of civic decision making. Special thank you to legislative aides Bryan Casañas-Scarsella and Elisabeth Moore.

The seminar closed with a discussion on the Historic Gas Plant District featuring James Corbett and former resident Carlos Lovett, reflecting on community, displacement, history, and preserving local voices as the city continues to evolve.

👏 Thank you to the Class of 2026 seminar team Jessica Bodkin, David Flanagan, Dominic Howarth, Robin Rupp-Mondak, Shelby Swygert, and Whisper Wiseman, supported by Planning Committee mentors Jeni La Paglia, Latorra Bowles, Anne Core, and Shawn Drouin.

Thank you to our hosting sponsor, City of St. Petersburg, Florida, our presenting sponsors Kimley-Horn The Princess Martha and Deuces Live St Pete and supporting sponsor Greater St. Petersburg Area EDC.

🤝 Thanks to our 2026 Patron Sponsors, St. Anthony's Hospital, Duke Energy, Eckerd College Leadership Development Institute (LDI), Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, Power Design, Raymond James, Suncoast Credit Union and The Bank of Tampa.

05/05/2026

Front line. Split-second decisions. Real-world impact. 🚔
The Criminal Justice Seminar takes on a big challenge, understanding the full system in a single day, from officers on the front line, to investigations, to the courtroom ⚖️

We kicked off with Assistant Chief Mike Kovacsev of the St. Petersburg Police Department, a 30+ year veteran, who walked the class through department priorities, real-world challenges, and took questions on policing in a growing city.

Then it was straight into the action 💥 Round robin sessions gave a hands-on look at the system, from experiencing a jail cell with Correctional Officer Dion, to officer decision simulations with Paul Roach, and a deep dive into drones and robotics with the SWAT team.

A standout moment was the K-9 demonstration 🐕 led by Sgt. Michael Karayianes, giving real insight into the training, care, and partnership within these units, and the emotion that comes with the work.

The class also debriefed on their ride along experience, an optional opportunity ahead of the seminar where participants join officers on shift and see the full spectrum of calls, offering a real, unfiltered look at the day-to-day realities of policing.

We closed in the courtroom with a mock trial featuring The Honorable Phil Matthey, Assistant State Attorney Nathan Vonderheide, and trial attorney Lee Pearlman, bringing the full system together from investigation through to prosecution and defense.

This seminar doesn’t just inform, it challenges perspectives, raises questions, and highlights the complexity of public safety in a growing and evolving city.

👏 Great work by the Class of 2026 seminar team Annica Keeler, Brian Rothey, Justin Lucci, Leah Biery, Michelene Everett, and Shannon Wilson, supported by Planning Committee mentors Cody Lance, Nic Saner, and Jamie McClendon for delivering one of the most engaging days of the program.

Thank you to our hosting sponsor St. Petersburg College, our presenting sponsors Pearlman Trial Group and Wing, and supporting sponsor FaceTime Beauty Lounge.

🤝 Finally, thank you to our 2026 Patron Sponsors, St. Anthony's Hospital, Duke Energy, Eckerd College Leadership Development Institute (LDI), Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, Power Design, Raymond James, Suncoast Credit Union, and The Bank of Tampa, whose continued support makes this program possible.

05/01/2026

At the halfway point, we wanted to take a step back from the class and spotlight the Planning Committee who make it all tick 👏
The Leadership St. Pete journey actually begins in August, nearly six months ahead of the class, with this group getting down to business and setting the blueprint for the year ahead.

The Planning Committee is made up of 40 members who work behind the scenes from hosting information sessions for class recruitment, serving on committees, planning seminars, and mentoring the class throughout the program.

This year’s Planning Committee includes alumni from last year’s class all the way back to 20 years ago. Why do they do it? The answer is always similar, they want to help shape the experience for future classes, just as theirs was shaped, and to continue their own LSP journey. And yes, while it’s a big commitment, it’s also a lot of fun along the way.

The Class of 2026 Planning Committee is led by Chair Debbie Viveiros, The Bank of Tampa and Chair Elect Allison Nall, Eckerd College.

See anyone you recognize? 👀

04/28/2026

Growth. Innovation. Balance. 🌆

The Growing St. Pete Seminar gets to the heart of what makes this city what it is, hearing directly from the people shaping its growth and evolution, and the constant challenge of balancing progress with preserving what makes St. Pete, St. Pete.

We kicked off with a panel featuring Mike Swesey, President and CEO the Greater St. Petersburg Area EDC, Alison Barlow, Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District, and Deidra Larkins, Economic Development Coordinator with St. Petersburg Greenhouse. Together, they shared how the city supports business growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the community.

Breakout sessions brought those ideas to life. 💡 Morgan Zook, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Gateway Subs, shared his unconventional approach to marketing and building a strong local brand.

Shawn Drouin, Event Recruitment and Management Coordinator for the City of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ferdian J*p, Managing Partner of Majestic Restaurant Group and partner in Big City Events and Pier Events, provided a fascinating look at the scale and logistics of delivering major events across the city.

We also toured Spark Labs by ARK Invest, our hosting sponsor, seeing firsthand how innovation spaces are supporting the next generation of business growth.

No seminar is complete without an activity, and teams took on the challenge of designing the “perfect place,” balancing economic growth, community benefit, and resident impact.

Great work by the Class of 2026 seminar team Susan Mertz, Rahim Samji, Lindsay Runk, Marlene Alvarez Brewer, Kent Nemeth Roberts, and Alyssa Elsner, supported by Planning Committee mentors Lauren Moon, Peveeta Samuel, Jose Gomez, and Mustafa Lakadawala.

Thank you to our hosting sponsor spARK Labs by ARK Invest, and to our presenting sponsors, PBK Architects, Create, Bluewater Wealth Advisors of Raymond James and The Beck Group.

Finally, thank you to our 2026 Patron Sponsors — St. Anthony's Hospital, Duke Energy, Eckerd College Leadership Development Institute (LDI), Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, Power Design, Raymond James, Suncoast Credit Union, and The Bank of Tampa — whose continued support makes this program possible.

04/17/2026

🚨 Last day to register for just $10! 🎟️

Join the Leadership St. Pete Class of 2026 for Sunday Social at Bayboro Brewing 🍻

Come out, have some fun, and support the class community project benefiting the LANFC Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center 💙

All ticket sales go directly to the project, and Bayboro Brewing are kindly donating $1 from every beer sold 🙌

Grab your ticket today! 👉 https://business.stpete.com/eventcalendar/details/lsp-social-sunday-project-fundraiser-1692752

St Petersburg Chamber

01/13/2026

The Leadership St. Pete Class of 2026 officially kicked off their journey with an energizing and memorable Opening Retreat.

The weekend brought together leadership training, seminar and community project planning, along with evenings packed with introductions, conversation, and fun, with thanks to Midnight Music DJ & Entertainment for keeping the evening vibe flowing.

We are grateful to our retreat partners who made the weekend possible. A special thank you to Saddlebrook Resort for hosting and to the supporting sponsor, Pyper, Inc.

We also extend our sincere thanks to the Eckerd College Leadership Development Institute (LDI) for providing the leadership training that anchors this experience, and to Lawrence and Rebecca for their guidance, energy, and continued commitment to Leadership St. Pete. This program would not be possible without the generous support of our 2026 Patron Sponsors. Thank you to BayCare St. Anthony's Hospital, Duke Energy Eckerd College Leadership Development Institute (LDI) Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital Power Design Raymond James Suncoast Credit Union The Bank of Tampa

We are excited to watch the Class of 2026 grow, connect, and achieve great things for themselves and the community.

Address

100 2nd Avenue N
Saint Petersburg, FL
33701

Telephone

+17273880685

Website

http://www.leadershipstpete.com/

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