Generous Hearts

It’s More Than a Class. It’s a Community.

by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

A FEW YEARS BACK, there was a television commercial where a hyper-focused young man is hooking up the wires to a giant TV and surround sound system. The spot ends with him breathing a sigh of relief and uttering the words, “It’s all connected.”

That’s a pretty common refrain around the Northshore Community Foundation office. We encounter community linkages daily. There’s no better example of “how it’s all connected” than the Chevron Community Fellows program.

Chevron is a committed and critical partner to dozens of our local mission-based organizations. It is also a global corporation that promotes smart management, administrative efficiencies and meaningful collaboration.

The completely homegrown, wildly successful Chevron Community Fellows program is a natural fit for the corporation’s business philosophy.

First, the program helps local organizations identify common threads that link their missions. This creates efficiencies within the nonprofit community so our organizations can do more social good.

Second, the Chevron Community Fellows program invests in the next generation of emerging leaders in the social sector and community. Participants advance their leadership skills, increase their social capital and become embedded in a robust professional network that often propels their careers into organizational leadership roles.

Selection is based on the individual’s current and future potential for community impact, a demonstrated commitment to the Northshore and a broad base of transferable skills with a willingness to work collaboratively toward shared goals.

Created by and managed through the Northshore Community Foundation, the Fellows program is fully funded by Chevron. The six-month fellowship engages leaders to meaningfully advance their connections and become part of a growing network of leaders.

“We’re excited to help empower community organizations, supporting them in order to make a greater impact in our region. Through this initiative, the Northshore Community Foundation shares knowledge and resources – and ultimately improves the quality of life for local residents,” said Leah Brown, public affairs manager of Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit.

Throughout the program, Fellows connect with community leaders who mentor them and help develop their skills. Each session is innovative and creative, with local business and philanthropic leaders helping spark growth and fully expose Fellows to the Northshore business and nonprofit community. For example, the most creative session followed a “Shark Tank” model, allowing Fellows to randomly partner in trios and create and pitch a meaningful idea within 30 minutes. The best collaboration won funding. Our panel of “sharks were so impressed with the quality and speed of the ideas generated, they funded two projects.

“Once the participants got to know and trust each other, the innovative collaborations blossomed, and we are all better off because of it,” said Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, CEO of the Northshore Community Foundation.

The graduation ceremony in June marked the end of the program for the 2021 class and welcomed the new 2022 class. Following the ceremony, each of the two classes of Fellows hosted a nonprofit expo for Chevron employees.

The 2021 Graduating Fellows: Suzanne Freret, St. Tammany Art Association; Christy Myers, Children’s Museum of St. Tammany; Jennifer Bushnell, Commission on Cultural Affairs; Kristi Trail, Pontchartrain Conservancy; Jim MacPherson, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum; Lisa Maddox, St. Tammany Parish Public Parks; Margie Lewis, Pelican Park/Northlake Nature Center; Donna O’Daniel, St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission; Cleveland Wester, Youth Service Bureau; Ron Smith, Boys & Girls Club Metro Louisiana; Lisa Murphy, James Samaritan; Thomas Mitchell, Child Advocacy Center/ Hope House; Mary Slazer, Northshore Technical Community College; Ashley Llewellyn, St. Tammany Corporation; Noble Bates Young, Northshore Business Council; Gerrin Narcisse, Bayou Lacombe Cardinals.

To learn more about the program and to meet the incoming 2022 Class, please visit northshorefoundation.org/ chevron-fellows