Where do good leaders come from? Are good leaders born that way or is through learning and growth?
For the past 10 years, the San Antonio Area Foundation and HOLT Group San Antonio have collaborated on a unique program that attempts to answer these questions for leaders in the local nonprofit sector.
The HOLT Values-Based Leadership Fellows Program offers specialized training and interactive leadership to development to nonprofit CEOs, both those new to the role, as well as those who have years of experience, and senior-level managers who are ready to take the next step towards an executive leadership role.
“The Holt Values-Based Leadership Program was created to address the growing need for strong, well-supported nonprofit leadership,” said Jessica Lombard, the Area Foundation’s Learning and Development Director. “With many nonprofit CEOs new to their roles and facing challenges like burnout, isolation, and limited succession planning, the program provides intentional, affordable professional development focused on both leadership and management skills.”
According to Lombard, the program began with Area Foundation conversations with HOLT Group about a partnership that would bring their Values-Based Leadership workshop to the nonprofit community. HOLT Development Services would facilitate the program, as they are a globally recognized training group known for providing leadership development to organizations such as the American Heart Association, St. Mary’s University, and UT San Antonio.
“Since [the program’s] launch, alumni have taken what they’ve learned back to their organizations, embedding the values-based leadership approach into their culture and operations,” Lombard noted. “This ongoing cycle of learning and sharing demonstrates how deeply the program has resonated within the community, strengthening leadership capacity across multiple nonprofits and fostering a shared commitment to values-driven impact.”
Based on proven leadership concepts that have been developed over decades by HOLT, the intensive nine-month program gives attendees access to local experts providing training in concepts such as communication, succession planning, and other unique concepts. It equips current and emerging nonprofit leaders with the confidence, tools, and peer support needed to sustain and effective impact in the nonprofit sector in San Antonio.
This week, the program welcomed its newest cohort of nonprofit leaders, continuing a decade-long tradition of investing in the people who help shape San Antonio’s nonprofit sector.
The 2026-27 Fellows are Gina Abad of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, Kimberley Klausner of Headwaters at the Comal, Latavia Manners of Close to Home, Susan Reilly of Morgan’s MAC, liz moseley of UP Partnership, Lindsay Byrne of SAY Sí, Nellia Jones of American Red Cross, Bethany Luis of Healthy Futures of Texas, Michelle Orci of Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, Jessica Morales of Mission Road Ministries, Jenna Sale of Pay It Forward SA, Dr. James Agtuca of CAVALRY, Tiffany Neal of Kinetic Kids, Erika Almazan of Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, Tia Jackson of Boys & Girls Club San Antonio, Tyshica York of Family Service, Brandon Wagner of Form Communities, and Jessica Bonnell and Molly Biglari of Roy Maas Youth Alternatives.
Representing organizations working across education, youth development, health, housing, the arts, environmental stewardship, and community services, these Fellows bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the nine-month program. As they begin their leadership journey, they join a growing network of alumni committed to strengthening their organizations, leading with purpose, and creating lasting impact throughout the region.
“The program ostensibly exposes leaders or people who are new to leadership or, currently in leadership to tools, models, and processes that have been time-tested for almost 40 years in our organization at HOLT,” explained Guy Clumpner, President of HOLT Development Services. “The upshot is that it provides people with a very consistent process-oriented approach. In other words, if we’re using the same, similar language and tools and models in the workplace every day, chances are you’re going to have a whole lot more success and productivity.”
Clumpner has been involved with the project since its inception. Over the past decade, he has seen first-hand how the program has made a significant impact on the community. He has seen organizations continue using the program to create an almost generational identity for their leaders.
“I think probably one of the most rewarding tendencies that I’ve seen has been a lot of the nonprofit client organizations have had a propensity to send multiple generations of their team through the program, which is an endorsement of what’s going on[and] it more effectively grounds a lot of the things that we teach within these organizations,” he said.
The best part of the program, said Clumpner, is that it is not a “cookie cutter” type of approach. Each person who enters the program has unique needs to develop. The program has been designed in a way to allow anyone who enters it to strengthen their weak area and develop and refine their existing skills.
“Adaptability is a big piece of [the program], he explained. “Seeking feedback is a big piece of it. We teach questioning skills. We teach conflict resolution skills when we teach the science of influence.
“But leadership’s about people, right? And, so, there is no such thing as a natural-born leader. It’s learned behavior, and when you can make people aware of their own propensities and behaviors, it can help shine a light on their ability to be effective with others.”
The partnership between HOLT Group and the Area Foundation has been a rewarding one for both groups. Both organizations gain the satisfaction of helping mold the next generation of nonprofit sector leaders. Both gain comfort in knowing they’re working toward the betterment of their community. Both come away with knowledge that they are helping to make San Antonio better for generations to come.
“The most significant impact has been seeing individuals grow — personally and professionally — because of the guidance, support and resources made possible through this partnership,” said Arenda Burns, the Area Foundation’s Chief Operations Officer, who oversees the Learning & Development Department. “My personal and professional growth has gone beyond what I could have imagined because of my mentoring and coaching from Guy.”
A full decade in, the HOLT Values-Based Leadership Fellows Program shows no sign of slowing down. The demand to participate is just as high as when it began. The goal for both HOLT Group and for the Area Foundation is to keep growing the program so that it can be even more effective and beneficial to the community for another decade to come.
“HOLT has helped people navigate both their professional and personal journeys in ways that wouldn’t have been possible without the knowledge and guidance shared,” Burns explained. “Our hope is that this relationship continues to grow in meaningful ways — built on shared values, trust and a genuine commitment to making a lasting impact together. Moving forward, we hope this partnership continues to create opportunities for growth, learning and collective impact—helping us reach even more people and strengthen our community.”
People like B.K. Gamble, former Executive Director of the nonprofit Doyle Community Center in Kerrville.
“I would recommend it highly,” Gamble said. “The whole curriculum is amazing. Every presenter we had was so professional, so knowledgeable. And so now I have a toolkit that I can use on the job.”
