About Us

The Colorado Springs Leadership Institute was formed in 1996 with the purpose of promoting the quality and quantity of leaders in our community. Our mission today remains the same -- to enhance local leadership through the development of personal, professional and civic knowledge. The program creates a safe environment where disparate groups of established leaders to network, share ideas, problem solve and form collaborative relationships.

With careful nurturing from the El Pomar Foundation and the Center for Creative Leadership, the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute has grown and now boasts more than 170 alumni who have remained in the Pikes Peak region, serving our community on a wide variety of boards, commissions and initiatives.

CSLI is committed to a model of leadership based on four values: A commitment to Colorado Springs, ethical behavior, respectful and inclusive relationships, and collaborative solution-oriented leadership. We envision Colorado Springs as a world-class city filled with proactive, engaged, and diverse community leaders who act as change agents to drive positive action and open dialogue.

Our organization has brought together leaders representing every segment of our community. We have created a network of key influencers and decision-makers who share the common bond of the CSLI experience and a passion to make Colorado Springs a better community.

Twelve years into the plan, CSLI has spread its wings and established itself as an independent 501(c)(3). We are deeply grateful to the El Pomar Foundation for their many years of support. Special thanks must be given to Brenda Smith and Cathy Robbins for their legacy to the organization and for putting us in the position to grow and mature as an independent group. CSLI is also grateful for the support of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). Their intensive weeklong training class remains a cornerstone of our program.

Heading this new evolution are Lorne Kramer, Class of 1997, and Janet Suthers, Class of 2005, acting as co-executive directors. The new CSLI Board of Directors is in place under the leadership of Wendel Torres and Will Temby. They are joined on the board by Walt Glover, Lon Matejczyk, Laura McGuire, Tom Naughton, Meredith Vaughan, and Joan Gurvis representing CCL. Our program manager, Katie Lally, has assumed a critical role in the organization and has been the glue that holds us all together.

With our strong belief in ethical behavior, respectful and inclusive relationships and collaborative solution-oriented leadership, we are poised to be a clearing house for new ideas and a network for dialogue and communication within the Pikes Peak region.