Leadership Salem
Presented By:
The Premier Program for Salem’s Top Emerging Leaders
Develop the leadership skills and relationships you need to thrive.
Our Next Cohort starts in September 2025.
The Application Deadline is July 11, 2025.
If you are a Leadership Salem alumnus looking to get involved, email Ruben Garibay at: ruben@salemchamber.org.
This two-year program allows individuals:
- Exclusive access to decision-makers and experts in their community.
- Focused skill development.
- Create lasting bonds with current and future community leaders.
This yearly leadership development cohort focuses on helping the next generation of leaders multiply their impact. We will begin in September 2025 and conclude in June 2026 with a community project.
Program Overview
Leadership Salem has two primary goals:
- Preparing motivated individuals to serve in impactful leadership roles throughout our community.
- Developing key career-long relationships for professionals within vested businesses and nonprofit organizations across the Salem community.
Participants receive a comprehensive overview of the Salem area – its realities, opportunities, and challenges. Leadership Salem is a strategic cohort designed to have participants meet key business, government, and nonprofit leaders and decision-makers, while receiving an introduction to community resources by way of tours, panels, and speakers.
Each of the 10 one-day sessions focuses on a different theme: Team Building, Community History, Legal/Criminal Justice, Natural Resources, Business & Commerce, Local Government, Education, Community Resources, Leadership, and a unique-to-your-cohort Community Project.
The first year concludes with a community service project.
Participants meet once a month for 10 months (September-June) and receive a comprehensive overview of the Salem area’s realities, opportunities, and challenges.
During year two, students become mentors as they help facilitate a session for the next cohort.
Questions? Reach out to Program Manager, Ruben Garibay, at ruben@salemchamber.org
For me, Leadership Salem was a life-changing experience. I formed bonds and relationships with folks ready and willing to do what it takes to see Salem/Keizer thrive. It helped me gain the confidence to lead with courage, make tough decisions and influence others with integrity and genuine goodness.
Your Chamber will be resilient in continuing the Leadership Salem tradition of increasing each participant’s knowledge of the inner workings of Salem.
Leadership Salem will pull you out of your routine to provide immersive learning opportunities, encouraging creative thinking and collaboration.
Leadership Salem helped me grow my business by providing a network of individuals that allowed me to have a wider net to connect people in pursuit of my role in the commercial real estate space. The additional credibility of being involved with Leadership Salem opened doors for me and enhanced my profile in the marketplace.
Founded and organized by The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce (501c3), this program has been financially supported by the sponsorship of local businesses, for over 25 years. Its mission is to expose highly motivated and interested people to the community and its issues for the purpose of preparing them to serve in volunteer leadership positions.