
A new home. A new chapter.
The Fieldstone Leadership Network is thrilled to announce that, effective today, our San Diego and Orange County offices will begin operating as independent organizations. This organizational transformation will help to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of both operations, while further enhancing our ability to develop relationships and programming at a local level.
We have a dynamic, and familiar, duo to lead our new organizations:
FLN San Diego will continue under the long-term leadership of Network architect and Executive Director, Janine Mason, and in strategic partnership with the Clare Rose Foundation.
(View a message from Janine)
FLN Orange County will be led by newly appointed Executive Director, Robin Sinclair.
(View Robin’s bio and our OC media announcement)
We’re confident that the “new homes” we’ve built for our SD and OC networks will be better suited to meet the present and future needs of those respective communities.
From the standpoint of your “member experience”, we expect the effects to be fairly minimal. In all likelihood, with the exception of some updated contact information, social media handles, and web addresses, you won’t notice a change at all.
Each organization has launched a new website to reflect its work and program offerings. You can find Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego at FieldstoneLeadershipSD.org (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn); while Fieldstone Leadership Network, Orange County can be found at FieldstoneLeadershipOC.org (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn).
Since 1994, the Fieldstone Leadership Network has empowered organizations throughout Orange and San Diego Counties by providing comprehensive leadership development and learning opportunities to nonprofit leaders.
We’re proud of our legacy and of the thriving, supportive community we’ve helped to cultivate here in southern California.
To date, more than 1,200 individuals from 690 organizations have participated in Fieldstone programs; and our belief in the transformational power of leadership — for individuals, organizations, and communities — is as strong as ever.
Today begins a new chapter in our story; one that continues to carry forth our vision of a well-developed, highly effective, and deeply connected nonprofit sector.
It goes without saying, but our work wouldn’t be possible without you: the current and future nonprofit leaders of San Diego and Orange counties; and the funders and strategic partners that have supported our work through the years. Your contributions have made the FLN what it is today.
Thank you for being part of our leadership community. We look forward to writing the next chapter, together.
Sincerely,
Keith Johnson
Chair, Board of Directors

New Cohort of Coaches Complete Training
Last week, 14 leaders from the Fieldstone Leadership Network met in San Clemente to complete a two-day training on peer mentoring. Selected for their experience and natural disposition to a coaching leadership style, these leaders will complete their preparation in time to be active coaches in our Network for the 2018 program cycle.
Hosted at Casa Romantica, leaders had the opportunity to explore what “leadership coaching is”, how to coach tactical issues using the lens of leadership and how to hold space that is hospitable and confidential all while building relationships with each other. Time was designed for each of the coaches to cycle through the practice sessions with each other so they could practice working with different styles and challenges and get to know each other.
Becky Ahlberg– My Safe Harbor
Valin Brown – Alliant Educational Foundation
Shana Buxser– CHOC
Jose Cruz – Barrio Logan College Institute
Torrie Dunlap – KIT
Lauren Gavshon Brand – Jewish Federation and Family Services
Shannon Jacquard, Ballast Health
Renato Paiva – Access Youth Academy
Carol Schultz, former ED Uptown Partnership
Donald Stump – North County Lifeline
Karen Terra – Emilio Nares Foundation
Don Wells – Just in Time for Foster Youth
Judi Westberg– Mercy Ships
Janie Wolicki Best– Women Helping Women
This year marks the 21st year of Fieldstone’s Coaching Program. Today, over 250 nonprofit leaders have been coached through the Network. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2018 cycle. If you are interested in working with a coach to accomplish specific goals or advance the mission of our organization, please complete the application under the coaching tab of our website.
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Leading Creative Encounters In Our Communities
During the past two weeks, we have taken Creative Encounters on the road as we have been privileged to facilitate the team building and leadership development experience for both the Identity Theft Resource Center and Leadership Tomorrow.
Working in the beautiful setting of Mission Trails Park in San Diego, we facilitated an experience for the national board of directors for Identity Theft Resource Center on September 14th. While the Center is physically located in San Diego, it serves the entire country. Thus, its nonprofit board is made up of leaders from across the nation. Designed specifically for ITRC, the Creative Encounters by Fieldstone experience allowed the board to explore how to lead together when they are geographically separated. It also provided them with a unique opportunity to deepen their relationships together while they were here in San Diego. As one board member reported, “this was awesome!”
Switching from natural habitat to a more manicured park, we facilitated an afternoon session for Leadership Tomorrow at the Newport Beach Community Center and Park on September 21st. Leadership Tomorrow’s mission is to cultivate, inspire, connect and empower an effective community of leaders. Its work serves the communities of Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach and Tustin. With a team of four facilitators, Vince Beresford, Matt D’Arrigo, Janine Mason, and Robin Sinclair, the 25 members of the 2017-18 cohort of civic leaders worked to accomplish goals, set strategy and learn more about themselves and each other. The Creative Encounters by Fieldstone experience was a key part of the program’s first day as half of the day was spent participating in this experiential learning activity outside in the park. As one participant said, “this experience provided me with an important realization as it relates to how I manage my team. I see some significant changes in the future about how I communicate my vision to the team and why this is important. Thank you.”
Creative Encounters by Fieldstone is available to groups and teams of leaders. If you are interested in having a session developed for your group, please contact us. To learn more, please watch this short video:
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Reading Through The Lens of Leadership
Reading, as a way to develop a deeper understanding of leadership, has proven to be a popular and successful strategy for members of the Fieldstone Leadership Network to continue their own personal leadership development. This month the Network, hosted three separate book clubs which gather together monthly to study leadership using literature.
The Network’s first Book Club, which started in San Diego last year, decided to continue meeting even after the formal program ended last June. This month, the SD-1 Club hosted author Brandon Black to discuss his new book, EGO FREE LEADERSHIP. The interactive discussion included additional insight into Brandon’s personal experience leading Encore Capital from a company struggling to navigate during a difficult business environment and national economy to a vibrant company with increasing stock prices, recognized as one of the “best companies to work for”. It was an insightful two-way conversation and Brandon was very gracious and vulnerable in answering everyone’s questions. An added bonus was his willingness to sign everyone’s book!
San Diego Book Club 2 (SD-2) met for its first meeting on September 12th and Orange County hosted its first Book Club on September 19th. Twelve new members from a variety of nonprofit subsectors make up each of these two new Leadership Book Clubs. Stefanie Schiff will facilitate the SD 2 Club, while Barbara Demarco-Barrett will facilitate the OC 1 Club. Both facilitators will guide members into meaningful conversations about leadership, leaders and leading while working with the members to develop their own facilitation skills so they are able to use books and literature as a tool within their agencies. The program continues until June 2018…”officially”.
Learn more about this experience and hear directly from Club members in this short video:
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