UMass Boston

The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and members of the UMass Boston community gathered to celebrate the graduation of the 25th cohort and showcase their solutions to pressing regional challenges.

UMass Boston’s Center for Collaborative Leadership (CCL) celebrated a milestone on June 25 as fellows from the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) presented solutions to real organizational challenges during the program's annual Project Showcase and Commencement.

The celebration honored the program's 25th cohort, coinciding with the Center for Collaborative Leadership's 25th anniversary. The event also marked the completion of ELP's first hybrid cohort since 2020. Over the course of the nine-month program, emerging leaders from the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors engaged in a blend of virtual learning and in-person experiences, including orientation, a leadership residency at Boston Logan International Airport hosted by Massport, fireside chats, and collaborative team projects. 

With the graduation of the 2026 cohort, ELP's alumni network has grown to 930 leaders across Greater Boston and beyond.

In his opening remarks, College of Management Dean Venky Venkatachalam spoke on the rapid changes reshaping organizations and the importance of intentional leadership.

"The challenge before us is not simply technological," he said. "It is fundamentally a leadership challenge."

Throughout the program, fellows worked in interdisciplinary teams with community organizations to address challenges facing the world today.

The three team presentations included:

Strengthening Veteran Dental Care:

The Harvard School of Dental Medicine team partnered with Thomas Miller, dean of administration and chief operating officer, and April Isaac Jefferson, executive director of clinical operations, to develop recommendations for strengthening veteran engagement and creating a more sustainable future for the school's Give Veterans a Smile program.

"The project team approached us with real, genuine curiosity and a desire to understand both the mechanics of why we do what we do and also what our mission is and what we're trying to achieve with our students who are learning and growing into their profession," Jefferson said.

Advancing Youth Workforce Development:

The Dorchester YMCA team worked with project sponsor Anthony Attride, executive director of the Dorchester YMCA, to develop strategies that promote youth workforce development and expand economic mobility opportunities for young people in the community.

"I loved that they made it very transformative and human-centered, not only with the data, but in the way they approached looking to impact the Dorchester community," Attride said.

Expanding Career Pathways:

The WORK Inc. team partnered with Macy Schmalz, assistant vice president of Learning and People Development at WORK Inc., to develop recommendations that strengthen career pathways and workforce development opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Schmalz praised the team's work, saying, "I really appreciate the data-forward approach for a human services organization. I think that's really great."

The showcase demonstrated months of collaboration between fellows and community partners, giving participants the opportunity to apply collaborative leadership principles to complex organizational issues while producing actionable recommendations.

Following the presentations, Tanya Barnett, director of the CCL, reflected on this year's class.

"They brought curiosity, humility, humor, and a real willingness to learn from each other," Barnett said. "That is exactly what collaborative leadership asks of us."

The celebration concluded with a commencement address from Annis Gill-Miller, chair of the CCL Board of Advisors, director of Youth Development at Mothers for Justice & Equality, and a member of the program's inaugural 2002 cohort.

Gill-Miller encouraged graduates to stay connected with one another as they continue their leadership journeys. "The promise of the Emerging Leaders Program is not one-time leadership, but a network of leaders of 900+ working across sectors to strengthen our region," she said.

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Michael Metzger, a member of the CCL Board of Advisors, then presented the 2026 fellows before family members, colleagues, alumni, and community partners gathered to celebrate the graduates and the completion of the program.

Nominations are now open for the 2027 Emerging Leaders Program cohort. Learn more or nominate a rising leader at umb.edu/leaders.