All SMDRA REALTOR^® Members in good standing are eligible to apply.  ALL interested parties would complete an application and acknowledge the enrollment fee of $300. Applications must be completed and submitted to SMDRA staff.  The Leadership Academy Advisory Board will recommend to the Board of Directors which applicants to approve.  Attendance in the Leadership Academy does not guarantee a position of leadership in the Association, although it is designed to develop future Association leaders.  Participants have 2 cycles to complete requirements.

Academy graduates will gain a clear understanding of the organizational structure of all 3 levels of the REALTOR^® Association and the challenges of leadership. Attendees will come to understand how SMDRA strives to provide advantages to members in a changing industry.  The Academy will build relationships, increase understanding of the importance of political advocacy, and the personal benefit through increased industry knowledge, self-confidence, and business networking.

1. LEADING LIKE A NINJA – Monday, January 14^th from 12pm – 4pm at SMDRA – Noted Performance Coach, Business Strategist and Ninja Instructor Clara Capano will teach the principles of basic leadership skills while highlighting tips and tools of successful leaders. This interactive class will entertain as well as educate through multimedia, class interaction, and participation. The class will run until 3 PM with a networking session afterwards to get to know your Leadership Academy classmates
2. SOUTH METRO DENVER CHAMBER ECONOMIC FORECAST BREAKFAST – Friday, January 18^th from 7am – 10:30am at CU South Denver in Lone Tree – Leadership Academy members will attend the South Metro Chamber of Commerce’s annual Economic Forecast Breakfast, widely acknowledged as one of the area’s premier economic forecast meetings with business leaders from around the metro area. Afterwards, we’ll spend time discussing what we learned at the breakfast and the impact on the real estate industry as well as a quick discussion on how SMDRA interacts with external organizations like the Chamber.
3. REALTOR® ADVOCACY DAY – Wednesday, February 6^th tentatively 9am – 4pm at the Brown Palace/Colorado State Capitol – Classmates will attend a private session highlighting advocacy as one of the core services of our value proposition with members. Then, we’ll attend CAR’s REALTOR® Day at the Capitol, meeting state elected officials and REALTORS® from around the state who focus on preserving our industry’s political future.
4. INTERACTIVE AND TEAM BUILDING DAY – Wednesday, February 20^th from 1pm – 6pm at TBD – Classmates will interact and work together to build teamwork and leadership skills in a light hearted day designed to bring the class closer together. No unusual physical skills or strenuous activity is involved in the team building day. Wear comfy clothes and be ready to have a little fun!
5. FILLING YOUR LEADERSHIP TOOLBOX – Wednesday, March 6^th from 8am – 12pm @ SMDRA – Any good leader draws upon a variety of tools to be effective. In this session, we’ll help you fill your toolbox with skills important to REALTORS® involved in many different styles of leadership. You’ll hear from a variety of instructors and participate in discussions regarding balancing your career with leadership obligations, time management, leading meetings effectively and working with different personalities.
6. SMDRA BEHIND THE CURTAIN PART ONE – Wednesday, March 13^th from 12pm – 4pm at SMDRA – Classmates will attend New Member Orientation to get a refresher course in the tools, products, and services SMDRA provides for REALTORS®. SMDRA leadership and staff will then lead an interactive discussion on how the association delivers on the Value Proposition to our members through BOD activity, committee work, strategic thinking and management strategies
7. SMDRA BEHIND THE CURTAIN PART TWO – Thursday, March 21^st from 8:30 AM – 11 AM @ SMDRA – Academy attendees will participate in an interactive Board of Directors meeting at SMDRA. You’ll sit shoulder to shoulder with SMDRA Directors and be privy to an inside look at how decisions get made by the SMDRA BOD. Leadership Academy attendees will be allowed to ask questions about procedure and subject matter but won’t be able to debate or vote on BOD matters.
8. LEADERSHIP, PUBLIC SPEAKING AND YOUR PUBLIC PRESENCE – Thursday, April 4^th from 1pm – 4pm at SMDRA – Denver Channel 7 Chief Investigative Reporter, Tony Kovaleski will lead this session designed to teach attendees more about the relationship between community leaders and the media. We’ll discuss how stories get covered, how to represent SMDRA and your business in the public eye, how to improve your public presence as a professional and even give you some public speaking best practices.
9. GRADUATION – Friday, April 12^th @ SMDRA Diamond Circle Awards at Marriott DTC The South Metro Denver REALTOR Association will celebrate and honor it’s 2019 Leadership Academy Graduates during our annual Diamond Circle Awards. The cost of attending the event is included with your participation in the Academy but will not include the application fee for the various award levels. Diamond Circle is SMDRA’s signature event and is the perfect place to honor our graduates!

NOTES:
Completion of all courses is a requirement for graduation.
Class fee of $300 covers all breakfasts, lunches, speaker fees, registration fees and course materials.