Leadership Fauquier

06/19/2026

This afternoon, two of our 2026 cohort will be discussing their vision for the Town of Warrenton as they run for mayor!

As a reminder, Leadership Fauquier is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse political candidates or take a stance on political issues.

Join us for an engaging and informative Town of Warrenton Mayoral Panel as part of the 2026 Fauquier Juneteenth Festival!

This is your opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, learn about their vision for our community, and ask the questions that matter most to you.

🗓️ Friday, June 19, 2026
🕒 3:00 PM
📍 Eva Walker Park | Warrenton, VA

🎤 Featuring:
• Darine Barbour
• Renard Carlos

🎙️ Moderator: Jason Scott – husband, father, retired U.S. Marine, minister, educator, and community leader.

This conversation is about you and the future of Warrenton. We encourage residents to participate by submitting thoughtful questions ahead of time.

💬 What issues are important to you?
🏡 Affordable housing?
🚦 Traffic and infrastructure?
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Youth programs?
🌳 Parks and recreation?
📈 Economic development?
🤝 Community engagement?

📲 Submit your questions by scanning the QR code on the flyer or using the provided link.

⚠️ Please Note: As of June 14, 2026, At-Large Councilman David McGuire had not yet confirmed participation.

Let’s come together to have a respectful, informative, and solutions-focused conversation about the future of our town.

06/17/2026

We’ve been reviewing applications for Leadership Fauquier’s 2027 cohort, and I have to admit that this is quickly becoming a highlight of our program cycle. On our application, we ask candidates to identify an issue they would like to spend ten months working with a team to improve. If you want hope for where our community is heading, it’s right here.

They have written about supporting mental health services, addressing food insecurity, caring for seniors, improving transportation, finding solutions to the affordable housing shortage, preserving our rural character, and supporting local businesses and workforce development. Each applicant has their own passion but together they represent a shared commitment to making Fauquier County stronger.

It’s a privilege to read these applications, learn about applicant experiences, and get a glimpse of what they hope to bring to our next cohort.

This is a fantastic time of year to invest in our next generation of leaders through sponsorship. Want to support Leadership Fauquier’s mission to grow strong, connected community leaders? You can learn more about sponsorship and donation opportunities here: https://leadershipfauquier.org/donate-support/

Missed the application deadline?
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch for next year’s application season: https://bit.ly/lfqsubscribe

06/16/2026

Congratulations to Dawn Sowers, a Leadership Fauquier alum (2017) and former board chair (2019-2020)! We are so excited for you!

The Fauquier County Library Board of Trustees has named Dawn J. Sowers the library’s new director.

06/15/2026

Applications are in and our selection committee is now reviewing applications for the Leadership Fauquier 2027 Cohort!

We are now reviewing applications from professionals across Fauquier County. It is a privilege to learn their stories, discover their goals and aspirations, and gain insight into the many ways they hope to make a difference in our community.

Thank you to everyone who applied. We are honored by your interest in the program. Applicants will be notified of their status on July 1.

Missed the application window? Sign up for our newsletter to make sure you are notified when applications open in the spring.

https://bit.ly/lfqsubscribe

06/12/2026

What does Leadership Fauquier really do?

As we talked about the impact of the program, Carter identified three areas of impact (and created this graphic to illustrate).

First of all, we invest in individuals through their time in the program. They develop leadership skills, communication skills, confidence, and a deeper understanding of themselves in others.

Second, we strengthen connections as an organization. Our network includes alumni, community leaders, organizations across the county, and current cohort members. Hundreds of people have been part of our program days, whether as participants, facilitators, guest speakers, or sponsors.

And finally, these areas of individual growth and organizational connection impact the community as our alumni serve on boards, volunteer, mentor others, support local nonprofits, and collaborate to address local challenges.

Our mission is to create a thriving community through informed and connected leaders. And this is is how we do it.

06/11/2026

Thank you for highlighting their accomplishments, Fauquier Times !

Leadership Fauquier recently honored its 10th class of community leaders.

06/10/2026

Welcome our summer intern, Carter Wadding! Carter is a PATH Foundation intern placed with Leadership Fauquier. He is a rising sophomore at the University of Virginia who intends to graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences with a BA in Media Studies. Sustaining his passion for marketing, Carter has sought out numerous opportunities to develop his skills further, and is committed to assisting Leadership Fauquier’s mission to create a thriving community through informed and connected leaders.

06/10/2026

Welcome to part two of our series about the history of community leadership programs like Leadership Fauquier.

By 1980, enough programs existed across the country to form a national association. More and more communities realized that these programs were effective. They realized that community leadership programs (CLPs) resulted in:

More informed citizens
Stronger nonprofit boards
Expanded community networks
Increased civic participation
More effective solutions to local challenges.

The movement was still growing steadily in the 1990s. That’s when current LEAD Virginia President and CEO Susan Horne founded Leadership Fairfax. Leadership Prince William began in 2008 – the brother of our current Executive Director was part of the inaugural class! And finally, in 2014, business leaders here in Fauquier County realized it was time to launch a program to bring these benefits to our community.

06/09/2026

Leadership Fauquier just graduated its tenth cohort, but we belong to a much richer history. For nearly seventy years, communities across the U.S. have intentionally invested in developing local leaders through community leadership programs just like ours.

But why?

Let’s take a trip back to the 1950s when Postwar America was in the midst of rapid growth. Communities realized they needed:

Better civic leadership
Stronger nonprofit boards
More engaged citizens
A pipeline of future leaders prepared to serve.

That’s when the American Chamber of Commerce Executives began developing leadership training initiatives. This led to the first formal community leadership program launching in Philadelphia in 1960. Others soon followed, all sharing a single belief:

Leadership can be developed.