Leading Saints is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help Latter-day Saints (LDS, Mormon) be better prepared to lead.
Here are 4 ways Leading Saints accomplishes the above mission statement:
1. Connect Latter-day Saint Leaders
2. Enhance Leadership Ability
3. Present Leadership Scholarship & Research
4. Celebrate Divine Guidance
Pavel Mykhailovskii was born and raised in Ukraine, and served a mission in Dnipro, Ukraine. He was called as the second counselor in the mission presidency in Dnipro only eight months after serving his mission. He has also served as branch president and is currently serving as stake president. Highlights
Karla Fonseca was born and raised in San Pedro Sula, the industrial capital of Honduras, in Central America. She graduated as an environmental engineer before serving in the Guatemala City Central Mission. She later earned a master's degree in Environmental Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and is now a senior in Marriage and Family Studies in BYU-Idaho's online program. Karla has worked as an environmental coordinator and manager and is currently the project manager at her family's insurance business. Karla has served in Young Womens as a president, counselor, secretary, and stake Personal Progress specialist; as an Institute teacher, ward Relief Society secretary, and temple worker in Las Vegas. She has also been a stake YSA representative and historian for the regional EFY conference, and has served as stake historian for over 10 years. She currently holds three additional callings as stake self-reliance specialist, Institute teacher, and ward Primary president. She hopes to continue in Primary in her new ward as a music leader. Karla and her husband Sergio Mejia have been married eight years and have a 5-year-old son. Highlights
Travis Richey is an entrepreneur and speaker. At the age of 25, Travis managed a hedge fund with millions of dollars under management. Due to a regulatory oversight in the State of Arizona, he was charged with transactions of an unregistered securities dealer and sentenced to 2 years in Arizona Department of Corrections. This 17,520 hours became the framework of Travis’ new mission in life; he founded AccomplishED Ventures to provide incarcerated and returned citizens the proper resources for a second chance at a successful life. Over the past 10 years he created the largest incarcerated curriculum company In America. His weekly message is seen or heard by over 500,000 inmates. When Travis is not impacting the incarcerated community, he speaks the language of identity and adversity to youth around the world, helping them understand their greatness and true potential. Travis’ message to the world is that biography is not destiny and no matter your past circumstances, you are in control of how far you go in life and what you achieve. Travis lives by the idea that every adversity carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit; the challenge is for most people that they’re so focused on the adversity in front of them that they don’t water the seed. Travis believes that the worst prisons in America are not made of concrete and steel, but moreso the limiting beliefs which keep us locked inside a mindset—or even worse, a life that does not serve our potential or purpose. Travis served in the Washington, Spokane mission and has degrees in finance and business administration. He has served in various church callings: nursery, Primary, Young Men, elders quorum, and his current and favorite calling as Gospel Doctrine instructor. Travis and his wife Melissa have been married 15 years, have four children, and reside in Boise, Idaho. Highlights
Jennifer Sumko grew up in Salt Lake City Utah and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Communications. She worked in various marketing and account management jobs prior to having children and staying at home as a full-time mother. She started a photography business while her husband was in residency and taught herself how to sew by watching YouTube videos while her babies were sleeping. It was during those years, living on the east coast, that she gained a deep love and appreciation for antiques and making old things appear as new. Jennifer has always had a love and passion for design. In 2018 She started Jen Sumko Vint—a company rooted in a love of all things vintage—and took on design clients specializing in textiles, wallpapers, and antique furnishings. She launched an earring collection early in 2019 and created her own small dress label the end of that year. Her latest project has been a spring and summer clothing, swim, and shoe collection with Dillard’s that will launch and be available nationwide in February 2023. Jennifer is currently serving as a Young Women president in Mesa, Arizona, after serving as Relief Society president in a ward doubling in numbers weekly. She has also served in a stake Young Women presidency and as a counselor in Young Women, Relief Society, and Primary while living in Pennsylvania. You can find her on social media through Instagram @JenniferSumko or at a local thrift or antique store sorting through treasured goods. Highlights
In this episode, Kurt Francom and Ross Richey (former member of the Leading Saints Board of Directors) talk about random topics distantly related to leadership. This is a fun end-of-year episode where there are no rules. :) Links
In this episode, Kurt Francom discusses the past, present, and future of Leading Saints. Links from Episode:
Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He is also an associate leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University. As a consultant, he works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their culture. Ryan is the author of The Elevated Leader and Success Mindsets. He has written multiple articles for Leading Saints, presented at a live event about mindsets, and is a repeat podcast guest. As Ryan reviewed leadership research, he found it primarily answered one question: “What do leaders need to do to be effective?” The focus of his work has been on “What do leaders need to be to be effective?” This podcast is a follow-up to a previous discussion about vertical development as individuals and leaders in the church. Listen to Part 1 here. Highlights
Justin Sorensen was recently released as bishop of his ward in Indiana and is now serving as stake Young Men camp director and youth Sunday School teacher. He has previously served as ward executive secretary, Young Men president, elders quorum president, and counselor in a bishopric. Justin grew up in Northern Indiana, served a mission in South Korea, and graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor of science in Industrial Engineering. He has been an insurance agency owner for the last 14 years, married to Angela for 23 years, and they are the parents of five children. Highlights
Keith Erekson is an award-winning author, teacher, and public historian who has published on topics including politics, hoaxes, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, and Church history. Keith grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, served a mission in Brazil, and earned advanced degrees in history and business. For seven years he directed the Church History Library, overseeing expanded online research access and enriched public exhibits, and now works for the Church History Department in efforts to encourage outreach and historical engagement. In this podcast, Kurt and Keith discuss receiving and engaging with patriarchal blessings. Highlights
Kolette Hall is a Success and Self-Management Coach for Leaders. She teaches high-achieving leaders how to manage their thoughts and behavior so they can make aligned decisions in every area of their life—without having to micromanage their time. She is an educator, author, entrepreneur, mother, and widow. Her husband was a quadriplegic in a wheelchair and they were married for 27 years before he passed away suddenly. Kolette has served in a stake Primary presidency and ward Young Women program. She currently serves in her Syracuse, Utah, stake Young Women presidency, where she uses her superpower of offering realistic, simple, and powerful ways to help ward leaders implement the youth-led program. Highlights