Growth-Minded. Like-Hearted. Community-Focused.
Connecting, Growing, and
Inspiring Community Leaders
Leadership MetroWest is a respected community organization in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts dedicated to community leadership training and professional development. Through our leadership development programs, we foster like-hearted, authentic, and engaged leaders. Join our MetroWest networking events and apply to our Leadership Academy to make a meaningful impact.
Programs
Empowering individuals through diverse leadership development opportunities.
Leadership Academy
Inspiring members of our community through our signature program.
Alumni Directory
Connecting leaders across MetroWest who have participated in our programs.
Community Leadership Development
Building Strong Leaders
for Vibrant Communities
Leadership MetroWest is a respected community leadership development organization that has been serving the region since 1986. Our mission is to connect, empower, and inspire members of our community to become more like-hearted, community-focused, authentic, and engaged leaders. Through impactful engagement and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we empower leaders to make a positive impact in their communities while fostering authentic connections with one another.
Empowering Education
Unlock your leadership potential with
the MetroWest Leadership Academy
The flagship program of Leadership MetroWest
Discover the transformative power of the Leadership Academy. Our program equips aspiring leaders with the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to make a lasting impact in their communities.
Inspire Others
Develop leadership skills and build lasting connections with like-hearted individuals.
Drive Change
Apply today to participate in next year's program and increase your capacity to have a positive impact in your community.
Empower. Support. Transform.
Empowering Future Leaders
Explore our impactful leadership development programs and initiatives.
Mission
To connect, grow, and
inspire community leaders
Our mission is to connect, grow, and inspire members and alumni to become more like-hearted, community-focused, authentic, and engaged leaders. As a member of the Leadership MetroWest community, you'll gain access to exclusive networking events, professional development opportunities, and a supportive network of like-hearted leaders.
Programs
Leadership Programs
Leadership programs are designed to empower individuals through unmatched educational initiatives. Our programs enhance the leadership skills of individuals committed to making a positive impact in their communities. By fostering a diverse cohort of emerging and established leaders, Leadership MetroWest aims to build a stronger, more connected community.
Partners
Building strong
community alliances
Our supporters and partners, including local businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and civic leaders, play a crucial role in advancing our mission to foster dynamic leadership and community engagement. Together, we are building strong, resilient communities, united by a commitment to leadership excellence and social progress.
Donate
Make a difference
and donate today
Support the growth of future leaders in our community by donating to Leadership MetroWest today. By supporting Leadership MetroWest, you are not only fostering individual growth but also strengthening the fabric of our community.
Supporting the Community
Make a difference in your community today
Your donation helps us continue to empower leaders and make a positive impact in our community. Join us in creating a more connected and engaged MetroWest.
Our Approach
Community driven solutions
for lasting impact
Leadership
Empowering Future Leaders
through the Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy provides participants with an intentional space for personal reflection on how they can become more effective community leaders. Through a combination of workshops, interactive conversations, and experiential learning opportunities, participants will develop the knowledge, confidence, strategies, and skills to be leaders within their community and champions for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Positive Leadership
The curriculum is focused on developing positive leadership skills, through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Interactive Learning
Participants engage in hands-on activities, frequent community visits, and robust group discussions to enhance their learning experience.
“Leadership MetroWest allowed me to build a deep and lasting relationship with many business leaders. To this day I continue to reach out to them for advice, counsel, and to partner on various programs sure to impact our communities. Without LMW I am confident those relationships would not exist in their current form and maybe not at all. I have a group of 25 that I know I can pick up the phone and they will take my call. To me that is the power of this community.”
“The Leadership Academy has significantly enhanced my personal and professional growth. It has equipped me with advanced leadership skills, boosting my confidence and strategic thinking abilities. The program has also expanded my network, connecting me with like-minded professionals and mentors. This experience has empowered me to drive positive change and take on more challenging roles within my organization.”
“As both an alum and supervisor that has sent staff, Leadership MetroWest has been an invaluable asset and resource to me as an individual and a leader. I personally have grown my own tools for my toolbox and witnessed staff soar in their development through the Leadership Academy. The alumni network is one of the best assets, as there are alumni everywhere and ongoing efforts to keep us all connected! We are incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful resource in MetroWest.”
Latest News and Events
Stay informed about our impact and initiatives
Last, but hardly least, please meet panelist Tim Holtsnider LMW 2025
Tim Holtsnider spent 40 years working in corporate America for Fortune 500 companies such as Gillette, Coca Cola, EMC/Dell in sales, operations, and management. In his recent semi-retirement he has launched Passages Consulting, where he draws on his extensive personal and professional experience to guide young adults entering the workplace to start strong and build a path to success. He has lived, traveled, worked, and hitchhiked across parts of four continents, ten countries, and more than 35 U.S. states.
You`ve got an extra hour today. Invite a friend & get your tickets: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/96JFie71J8nRE4UZLge9Iw
Please meet our next Fall Breakfast Panelist!
Deborah Minori LMW 2022
Debi Minori is a human resource leader specializing in diversity, equity,and inclusion, relationship and performance management, and talent acquisition. She has extensive experience directing HR for well-known for-profit and non-profit organizations in Greater Boston and MetroWest such as in the hospitality and financial services sectors and more recently was a Chief Human Resource Officer for the MetroWest YMCA. She holds a MS in Human Resource Management/Labor Relations from Loyola University of Chicago.
Treat yourself, get your ticket here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/96JFie71J8nRE4UZLge9Iw
Please meet our next panelist for our Fall Breakfast, Leading the Generational Mosaic: Turning Differences into Superpowers
Sheniqua Rogers LMW 2023
Sheniqua Rogers is the Board Operations Coordinator for Metro SouthWest Work Force Board, a nonprofit agency working to develop a dynamic regional workforce system advancing workers and businesses through trend communication, collaboration, and program development. She is deeply committed to nurturing young talent and supporting youth development through mentorship, education, and hands-on training. In her prior role as the organization’s Youth Programs manager, Sheniqua worked directly with in-school and out-of-school youth, ages 14-25, assisting with intensive case management, career exploration, and finding paid internship opportunities, summer jobs programs, and training programs in trades and construction.
Tickets & information here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/96JFie71J8nRE4UZLge9Iw
We have a wonderful line up of expert panelists for our Fall Breakfast on November 12!
Introducing Shilpa Pherwani, CEO, IBIS Consulting Group
Shilpa Pherwani is an organizational psychologist, leadership advisor, and CEO of IBIS Consulting Group. For more than two decades, she has helped leaders build the skills to navigate the conversations that shape trust, performance, and workplace culture.
Shilpa has partnered with organizations including Google, American Express, the Federal Reserve Bank, Hasbro, American Airlines, Nestlé, and Stanford University. Her work focuses on turning leadership learning into behavior change through immersive, practice-based experiences.
Shilpa’s approach combines interactive business theater with professional actors, facilitated leadership practice, digital learning, and AI-enabled simulations, giving leaders a safe and realistic environment to rehearse difficult conversations, practice feedback, and lead effectively through change and uncertainty.
She is also the creator of the Inclusive Organization Framework (IOF), a practical model for aligning leadership behaviors, organizational systems, and culture. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: leadership is built not through passive learning, but through experiential practice grounded in real-life leadership challenges.
Ticketed guests welcome. Purchase your tickets at https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/96JFie71J8nRE4UZLge9Iw
Purchase your tickets for the Fall Breakfast Today!https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/96JFie71J8nRE4UZLge9Iw
Thursday, November 12, 2026, | 9-11 am at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts
Just as gifted artists transform handfuls of individual tiles into beautiful, unified masterpieces, gifted leaders bring together people with different strengths, perspectives, and experiences to create cohesive, high-performing teams. How, exactly, do our best leaders unite teams where the people span multiple generations, and are coming to work with vastly different expectations?
Panelists
Tim Holtsnider LMW ‘25 | corporate America Fortune 500 manager of sales, operations, and management; founder of Passages Consulting, which is helping the next generation of professionals find their voice, own their value, and take the next step with purpose.
Deborah Minori LMW ‘22 | human resource leader specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion, relationship and performance management, and talent acquisition for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Shilpa Pherwani | organizational psychologist, leadership advisor, and CEO of IBIS Consulting Group, which helps leaders build the skills to navigate the conversations that shape trust, performance, and workplace culture.
Sheniqua Rogers | LMW 23, Board Operations Coordinator for Metro SouthWest Work Force Board, a nonprofit agency working to develop a dynamic regional workforce system advancing workers and businesses through trend communication, collaboration, and program development; former Youth Programs manager.
Moderated by Amanda Zuretti | LMW ’22 | lawyer
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thank you to Regina Wolf Fritz and Nancy Johnson of Better Day Adult Social Day Program for hosting such an insightful Encore. We saw first-hand why there is such a demand for their care. MetroWest needs more programs like this one! @better_day_program #dignity #connection #respite #love
Let`s all give a great big HOWDY to Matt--
Matt Brand LMW’26 Natick
Occupation/Community Activities: Chair of the Natick School Committee / Senior Vice President of Engineering @Uwill
Interests: being a nerd, writing, reading, summer camp, sarcasm, seeing movies
Favorite thing about your Academy experience: the people and also getting to visit and learn about all the great work happening in our community
What you`re now looking for from LMW alumni: future networking and just being part of a community of leaders
Favorite motivational quote: "You miss 100% of the shots you don`t take." -Wayne Gretsky
https://linkedin.com/in/mattbrand
https://mattbrand.com/
Join us for Encore on Tuesday October 20 for an intimate behind-the-scenes visit to Better Day Adult Social Day Program, a small, innovative nonprofit providing nonmedical daytime care for adults living with early- to mid-stage dementia. See for yourself how a peer group, caring staff, and a welcoming, residential environment can provide social engagement and cognitive stimulation in ways that work for guests and caregivers alike. We`ll learn how Better Day is working to bridge the gap between senior centers and residential memory care. After the visit we`ll gather for lunch, reflection, and conversation at Main Street Cafe, 182 Main St, Marlborough 01752. (Please note lunch is not included in your registration.)
Whether you have a personal connection to dementia, an interest in senior services, or are simply curious about how organizations can creatively approach care, here`s a wonderful chance to see, learn, and connect.
Register at https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/AWi-hhOv-FlsbxuUUJolug
This week the Leadership Academy Class of 2027 had the privilege of meeting the amazing staff, athletes, and parents who make up the tight-knit community of Special Olympics MA. Our self-appointed tour co-director Colleen made sure that LMW alums Stephanie and Charles did not miss anything important on our tour. During the panel discussion, Colleen explained that "Authenticity is showing up as yourself." Anita, who has won gold in swimming at Nationals, shared that she shows up authentically in the world by "showing my own bubbly personality, and talking to people and my friends just as I want to be treated." And Matt explained how his authenticity plays an important role in his work as an Athlete Leader. "As an Inclusion Ambassador, I am representing inclusion for everyone, not just those with disabilities. You speak for those who can`t really say for themselves or articulate for themselves--you give them that voice that they don`t have on their own, that voice to speak out." Thank you @specialolympicsma for an unforgettable day. #inclusion #authenticity #leadership #leadershipmetrowest
Leadership Academy Day is at Special Olympics MA today! It is such a treat to introduce the new class to the wonderful, tightknit community of SOMA LMW alums and staff, the Athlete Ambassadors, and their families. Thank you #specialolympicsma 💙🧡
Welcome Jess D!
Jessica DeBenedictis LMW’26 | Somerville & Ashland
Occupation/Community Activities: Deputy District Director for the Office of Senate President Karen E. Spilka, Farmers Market volunteer
Interests: Movies, volunteering, basketball and softball, farmers markets, hiking/trail walks
Favorite thing about your Academy experience: The lifelong friendships I made and the organizations I got to learn more about
What you`re now looking for from LMW alumni: Continued networking opportunities and events – I love to meet new people!
www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-debenedictis
Yesterday we had a marvelous day hanging out at Framingham Fest! So many alums came by and were very good sports about taking photos. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, volunteered, hung out, and made it such a lovely day. 🧡💙 #leadershipmetrowest #wegrowleaders
Impact
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Leadership MetroWest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
Address
P.O. Box 734
Framingham, MA 01701