Connecticut Leadership Academy

2026 applications available at the end of October                           

Refreshed and Revived: A New Chapter for 2025
Become part of an inspiring community of aging services professionals as the LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy opens its doors to emerging leaders from Connecticut, New Jersey & Delaware, and Rhode Island. This is your chance to embark on a year of exceptional leadership development with the refreshed Leadership Academy, crafted to elevate your leadership experience to new heights!

2025 Sessions will be held March - September. 

LeadingAge Connecticut's Leadership Academy is sponsored by:        

What is the LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy

The LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy is a regionally based leadership program that fosters and encourages leadership development within the LeadingAge Connecticut, LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware and LeadingAge Rhode Island member organizations.

LeadingAge Connecticut has made the commitment to this forward thinking leadership program to ensure that we are developing leaders that will carry on the mission of expanding the possibilities for aging. Modeled after the national LeadingAge Leadership Academy program, the LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy provides a year-long transformational leadership development experience that is accessible and affordable. We are pleased to partner with LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware and LeadingAge Rhode Island to extend this experience to their memberships.

Transformational leadership is an inspiring and visionary leadership approach that creates significant change in the lives of people and organizations through strong relationships. Participants enrolled in the academy will be considered “fellows” and they will engage in a year-long leadership program that will include four two-day learning experiences in Connecticut which will be scheduled throughout 2025.

LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy Schedule and Themes
Participating fellows will engage in four two-day face-to-face customized learning experiences that will include visits to LeadingAge Connecticut member communities, conversations with aging services leaders and self exploration of leadership styles through exercises and readings. The March and September sessions will require overnight stays and the cost is included in the tuition.

The selected dates and themes for the 2025 LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy are as follows:

Session 1: The Purpose Driven Leader ● March 13-14, 2025
This session will focus on uncovering or discovering personal “whys” while seeking to align personal values, actions and leadership framework with each individual’s purpose. Additional learning focus includes creating learning organizations, understanding the principles of person-centeredness with residents and staff, adopting the concept of adaptive leadership, encouraging balance and renewal, fostering creativity and innovation, and changing organizational cultures.

Session 2: Discovering Authentic Leadership ● April 24-25, 2025
This overnight session will focus on the exploration of personal values, developing our moral compass and self-reflective leadership practices, understanding our personality preferences and our crucibles of leadership, finding our leadership voice which will give us the confidence to transform our organizations.

Session 3: Empowering and Inspiring Teams ● July 17-18, 2025
This session will focus on creating environments which encourage others, fostering collective visions for the future, developing trust, and building strong, committed teams within our organizations.

Session 4: Building Relationships and Partnerships ● September 18-19, 2025
This overnight session will underscore the importance of relationship development, using our emotional intelligence, advocating for our organizations and the people they serve, forging partnerships outside the walls of our communities, and learning the best practices of other organizations.

2026 Leadership Academy Application Timeline - Soon will be posted
Applications that fail to meet all guidelines or are incomplete will not be considered for review. Applicants will receive notification of acceptance into the program by early-February.

2026 Leadership Academy Brochure and Application - Coming Soon 

Testimonials
“Our organization is deeply committed to investing in the next generation of leaders and the LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy has offered us an excellent opportunity to do so. The employees we have sponsored have transformed into amazing emerging leaders and their growth has had a positive impact on all who live and work within our communities.” Lisa Connolly, NHA, MS, Vice President, Hartford HealthCare Community Network, LeadingAge Connecticut Immediate-past Board Chair

“Leadership Academy has been a remarkable experience that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my career. It has opened my eyes to new learning opportunities and made me a better leader for my organization.” -Adrienne Perry, Director of Assisted Living and Care Management

“This experience has been nothing but rewarding. It has broadened and deepened my understanding of what it means to be a leader. The Leadership Academy has given me the tools needed to get out of my comfort zone, build my network and become an effective leader.” Kadeen Blanchard, Human Resources Specialist

Please contact Allison Anka at [email protected] or 203-678-4477 x16 if you have any questions.