03.17.26
Strengthening the Civic Leadership Pipeline
By Charlie Adams, Center for Civic Engagement Lead, FMWF Chamber
Attendees participate in small-group discussions during the Civics on Tap event at Drekker Brewing Company, exploring pathways to civic leadership and public service.
Learn how the Center for Civic Engagement is strengthening civic leadership development through employer insights and community momentum.
Building a stronger region depends on leaders who listen well, act with clarity and step forward when their communities need them. As the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) continues to take shape, it’s been made evident that leadership and civic engagement are inseparable. Employers across the region are helping define what it takes to prepare more people to lead, both inside their organizations and beyond them.
What employers say about present-day leadership
To chart the right direction, we surveyed our Founding Circle Members on how civic engagement shows up in their workplaces and what support they need. Their responses revealed shared expectations for healthy, modern leadership: the ability to hold constructive dialogue, participate with context and create internal operating policies that make public service more accessible.
They also acknowledged the civic engagement challenges they face today, such as balancing time away from work, navigating political sensitivities and identifying the right policies to support their teams. At the same time, they expressed interest in the tools that develop leadership capacity: sample policies, mentorship, leadership development opportunities and nonpartisan education that equips employees to lead well.
Leadership growing at every level
Community momentum confirmed that interest. A full room at November’s Civics on Tap event showed that emerging leaders are ready to explore public service. They just need direction. Speakers emphasized that civic leaders aren’t born; they grow through experience, values and willingness to say yes.
December’s CEO Roundtable reinforced the point from another angle: established leaders see clear returns when employees take on civic roles. Public service strengthens strategic thinking, sharpens communication and builds internal leadership pipelines.
The group highlighted how resources like the CCE’s Employer Toolkit and programs such as Civics 101 can empower Founding Circle Members to engage their teams and elevate the importance of civic participation in the workplace. They underscored the need for leaders ready to step in — individuals whose business acumen, experience and steady guidance create lasting value for our community and the state. Many CEOs described civic involvement as time invested in future leaders, not time taken away from business.
The insights coming from these roundtable discussions are shaping how the CCE structures its next phase of work.
What’s ahead: Tools to grow leaders
With employer guidance and community input in hand, the CCE is developing the content and programming that will be the essence of the Center for Civic Engagement moving forward. As we continue advancing this initiative, our goal is to build resources that make civic leadership feel approachable, well-supported and rooted in environments where people can listen to one another with curiosity rather than division.
Planned 2026 offerings include:
- Employer engagement tools and trainings: Resources that help organizations strengthen leadership readiness through civic participation.
- Candidate cultivation and development: A mentorship program, employee toolkit, and candidate institute to prepare emerging leaders for boards, commissions and elected roles.
- Voter education and engagement: Nonpartisan VoteFMWF tools and candidate forums that develop informed, thoughtful participants in public life.
- Civics literacy curriculum: Elections 101 and Local Government 101 to build foundational civic understanding, a key leadership skill in any industry.
Together, these efforts will allow us to build healthy civic cultures, increase the civic IQ within our communities and clear pathways for those ready to step into public service. These initiatives reflect what we’ve heard from employers and individuals, and reinforce our commitment to building a stronger, more civically confident region.
Join the movement
Civic engagement is no longer a side conversation. It has become a shared priority driven by individuals ready to step forward and employers recognizing the value of supporting them. As we continue this work, we invite both individuals and organizations to be part of the Center for Civic Engagement’s mission to inspire, empower and cultivate business-minded leaders for public service.
Sign up to receive updates, join future roundtables and be among the first to access future resources. And don’t forget to use these resources to support the people in your organization who are ready to lead. Together, we can build a more engaged, informed and empowered community.
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