The organization Leadership Long Beach this week announced the 1,000th graduate from its signature leadership program during its 2011 graduation ceremony. Selected by her classmates, Karissa Selvester will have the honor of being the 1,000th graduate during the ceremony at the Museum of Latin American Art the evening of Monday, June 20.
Selvester, a Long Beach native, is the government relations representative for Long Beach Transit. Having also gone through the Youth Leadership Long Beach program in 1997 as a junior at Wilson High School, Selvester is the second Institute graduate to have completed both the adult and youth programs.
At Wilson High, Selvester was a member of the Zygomas— the top 25 most active senior girls who provided service to the school and community outreach— and a varsity girl soccer player for four years. Selvester graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and Planning and worked as an urban planner for six years before returning to Long Beach to live and work.
“Graduating our 1,000th principled leader is a very significant milestone for our community and for Leadership Long Beach,” said Board President Tom Farrand. “Karissa embodies the kind of leadership qualities our community needs. Her work at Long Beach Transit, in the Junior League of Long Beach, and her return to the city of her parents and grandparents to work and live show her strong commitment to bettering our community.”
“I feel incredibly honored to have this opportunity to represent Leadership Long Beach as its 1,000th graduate,” Selvester said. “The strengths gained through this program have helped me in all aspects of my life. I feel so grateful for my classmates’ encouragement and for nominating me for this role. I’m looking forward to seeing what fantastic things we do next and to seeing Leadership Long Beach continue to positively impact the city.”
Selvester and her other 23 classmates will graduate from the Institute program of Leadership Long Beach on Monday, June 20 at the Museum of Latin American Art beginning with a welcome reception at 5pm. The Class of 2011 community class project presentations will take place from 6pm to 7pm. The reception and presentations are free and open to the public; the graduation ceremony and dinner program will begin at 7pm. Tickets for the dinner are $65 per person and available via leadershiplb.org or by calling (562) 997-9194.
