By Ashlynn Bouldin, Coordinator, Communications & Marketing
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
On Wednesday, May 6, Leadership Dallas (LD) alumni and upcoming graduates gathered at the Las Colinas Country Club for the program’s Annual Leadership Luncheon, where attendees reconnected and celebrated the upcoming graduation of the LD Class of 2026.
“From tackling education and workforce disparities to fostering economic growth, the collective efforts of Leadership Dallas alumni have left a lasting mark on our region,” said Darcy Anderson, Chairman of Hillwood Management and 2026 DRC Board Chair.
The annual luncheon provides an opportunity for the DRC to celebrate those efforts. At the event, the DRC awarded the LD Distinguished Alumni Award to Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) and graduate of the LD Class of 2016. Below are key insights Bartkowski shared about her LD experience and its impact on her leadership.
LD is a platform for leadership development
As the Dallas Region’s premier leadership program, LD helps executives assess how they can leverage their expertise to address challenges and opportunities within the Dallas Region through 10 months of hands-on curriculum. Each year, 55 participants are selected based on proven leadership potential within their organization and community. Over 2,300 leaders have participated in the program, and 23% of the DRC’s board members are LD alumni.
“Leadership Dallas introduced me to the very best of what’s happening in the North Texas region and in the Dallas community,” said Bartkowski. “It introduced me to the [region’s] potential, its challenges and the things that could be in the city of Dallas. It helped me be a better leader, and I don’t know that I could’ve learned that anywhere else.”
Bartkowski’s leadership—both before and after her LD graduation—are testaments to the caliber of LD alumni. Throughout her 17-year career at GSNETX, she has elevated issues impacting young girls in Texas and pioneered programs that platform and enable them to thrive in STEM, like the first two DreamLabs in Texas and the STEM Center of Excellence—the first of its kind in the nation.
“Dallas is a community that thrives with innovation and is generous enough to invest in it,” said Bartkowski. “I don’t think we could have done something like [the STEM Center of Excellence] anywhere else across the country.”
LD builds a foundation of collaboration and engagement
Bartkowski also emphasized how surprised and excited she was by the enthusiastic leaders she worked with when she joined LD in 2016.
“I wanted to meet different people—people who shared values with me, who wanted to build a better place, lead, contribute and invest back into the community. I was so honored to be surrounded by those people who, now, are lifting others up.”
While discussing her journey with GSNETX, Bartkowski noted the impact LD had on her leadership and ability to create change, encouraging the LD Class of 2026 to maintain their community engagement beyond graduation and get involved as LD alumni.
“It’s easy to graduate and go out in the world, go back to work and your families and not be involved in anything. If I had done that, I would not be sitting here,” she said. “I encourage and invite you to find the places you want to lean into and to do those things. Sit in the meetings and invest the money. Tell the stories of the people who can’t tell them themselves. This community needs you to do it.”
Renda Mathews, Dallas Market President at Truist Bank and Chair to the LD Alumni Council, echoed a similar sentiment, noting the unique opportunities LD alumni have to create scaling regional impact.
“That’s what makes this program special—our ability to expand it beyond graduation and create impact that will, one day, grow beyond ourselves,” said Mathews.
To learn more about Leadership Dallas, visit our website. Alumni looking to get involved in the LDA Council can contact Cecilia Villa, DRC Senior Vice President of Member Engagement, at cvilla@dallaschamber.org.