One of the Humphrey School’s senior managers has been accepted into the Leadership Twin Cities professional development program for 2020–2021. Admissions Director Sherlonda Clarke is one of 52 community leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who were chosen for this year’s cohort.
Leadership Twin Cities, offered by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, is a nine-month program that informs participants about the critical issues facing the community, and challenges them to make a difference through personal commitment and involvement.
Clarke directs student recruitment and admissions at the Humphrey School. She says the program will give her an opportunity to get more involved in the Twin Cities community.
“I have lived here for nine years, but as a transplant, I still feel like I have a lot to learn about all the things happening in the Twin Cities,” Clarke says. “I like the fact that the cohort includes people from different sectors. It gives me the opportunity to work with dynamic people that I may not have had the chance to meet otherwise.”
Over the next nine months, Clarke and the other participants will delve more deeply into community issues such as economic development, safety and justice, health, education, and the arts, with a focus on finding solutions.
In addition to strengthening her own leadership skills, Clarke says her participation in the program will help enhance her role at the Humphrey School.
“It’s a good way to make connections,” Clarke says. “I will have the opportunity to learn about a lot of community-based work, which gives me the chance to build relationships and future partnerships for the Humphrey School.”
Since its inception over 40 years ago, more than 2,000 people have participated in Leadership Twin Cities.
Before joining the Humphrey School in 2016, Clarke worked at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, where she led recruitment, admissions, and climate efforts with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Clarke earned her master’s degree from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, and her BA from James Madison University.