Leadership Burbank is beginning a milestone year with its largest class ever and a renewed partnership with one of the organizations that helped shape its history.
The Leadership Burbank Class of 2027 brings together a record 29 local leaders representing a broad cross-section of the Burbank community, including participants from the City of Burbank, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, 20th Century Studios, Brad Korb Real Estate, and organizations across the private and nonprofit sectors.
Over the next nine months, class members will step inside some of Burbank’s most influential institutions, learn directly from community and regional leaders, develop their own leadership skills and, perhaps most importantly, identify ideas and solutions that make Burbank a strong, sustainable and vibrant community.
“This is an incredibly exciting year for Leadership Burbank,” said Jessa Freemyer, Chair of the Leadership Burbank Board of Directors. “Not only are we welcoming the largest class in our history, but this year’s participants represent so many different parts of the community we serve. That diversity of experience and perspective is part of what makes Leadership Burbank so special. Our Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome back experts in leadership from Woodbury Business Institute to facilitate the program and support each class member in their LB journey.”
A New Chapter Rooted in Leadership Burbank’s History
The 2026–2027 program will be facilitated by three professors from the Woodbury Business Institute, formerly Woodbury University and now a distinct AACSB-accredited unit within the University of Redlands’ School of Business and Society.
Woodbury was one of Leadership Burbank’s original partners, making the renewed collaboration both a return to the program’s roots and an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to a curriculum that has continually evolved throughout Leadership Burbank’s more than 30-year history.
“For me, there is something particularly meaningful about helping lead this program in a community that Woodbury has called home for so many years,” said Marques. “Leadership Burbank gives people an extraordinary opportunity to better understand themselves as leaders while also discovering the community around them in a much deeper way. Our goal is to support this remarkable group of leaders, learn alongside them and help each one consider how their own values, talents and influence can contribute to an even stronger Burbank.”
The 2026–2027 facilitation team includes:
Dr. Joan Marques, Director of the Woodbury Business Institute and Professor of Management, whose work explores leadership, ethics, mindfulness and spirituality in business. An accomplished scholar, author and educator, Marques also serves on the Leadership Burbank Board of Directors.
Dr. Jennifer Madden, Dean of the University of Redlands School of Business and Society, a nationally recognized academic leader whose work focuses on innovation, collaborative problem-solving, community engagement and cross-sector partnerships.
Dr. Adam Wood, Professor of Management and a scholar-practitioner specializing in organizational behavior, leadership, negotiation, interpersonal perception and decision-making. Wood also brings extensive experience in management consulting and global leadership development.
Together, the three professors bring complementary expertise and a shared commitment to developing thoughtful, values-based leaders prepared to make a difference in their organizations and communities.
Burbank Becomes the Classroom
While leadership development provides the foundation of the program, much of the Leadership Burbank experience happens beyond the classroom.
Throughout the nine-month program, class members will go behind the scenes at many of the institutions that make Burbank such a distinctive community, meeting the people who lead them and exploring the opportunities and challenges they navigate.
Leadership Burbank is always looking to expand its network of partner hosts, inviting Burbank organizations to open their doors and give class members a behind-the-scenes look at the people, work and ideas shaping the community. Current and past program hosts include the City of Burbank, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Warner Bros. Discovery, Burbank Chamber of Commerce, Worthe Real Estate Group, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, The Walt Disney Studios and Garry Marshall Theatre, among others.
It is a model that combines leadership development with civic engagement, giving participants the opportunity to understand not just how to lead, but the community in which they have the opportunity to make an impact.
Many Leadership Burbank alumni go on to serve the City in elected positions, on boards of local charities, or through their local schools and volunteer organizations.
Leadership Burbank’s curriculum has continued to evolve throughout the organization’s history to remain relevant to today’s leadership needs, with each class benefiting from the expertise and perspective of the facilitators who came before them.
Past facilitators include Mary Alvord and Sue Georgino, Don St. Clair and Janet McIntyre, Dr. Phyllis Cremer, and JP O’Connor, FASAE. Leadership Burbank is grateful for their lasting contributions to a program that has helped develop and connect more than 600 alumni.
Now, Leadership Burbank’s largest class yet is ready to begin that journey.
Nine months. One extraordinary community to learn from — and an opportunity to help shape what comes next.
Burbank organizations interested in becoming a Leadership Burbank partner host for a future class are encouraged to contact Leadership Burbank at chair@leadershipburbank.org.
