Leadership Toledo hosts 20th annual community breakfast fund-raiser

Dan Dower remembers when he wore gold chains, had a frosted-tip haircut, and listened to Fat Joe while attending the University of Tiffin 20 years ago.

The president of Leadership Toledo’s board of trustees and market president for KeyBank recalled when he had huge aspirations of being a baseball player, though that plan ultimately fell through.

“The necklace is in the garbage, thank goodness,” Mr. Dower said. “The frosted tips grow out and get replaced by streaks of gray wisdom. … I would take my today over yesterday anytime.”

He said, on top of going from meeting to meeting, he’s also a husband, father, and Little League coach, thanks in part to Leadership Toledo.

Mr. Dower, along with other graduates and representatives of Leadership Toledo, testified as to how the organization has helped them attain success during its 20th annual community breakfast fund-raiser Thursday at the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel.

More than 400 representatives from several companies and organizations including KeyBank, Destination Toledo, and The Andersons were all ears as Leadership Toledo staff encouraged community buy-in to help it reach its $100,000 goal.

The money is meant to help the organization keep programs like its tuition-free youth programs and scholarships for its adult program running.

The breakfast is one of Leadership Toledo’s two major fund-raisers, the other being Restaurant Week Toledo, said Elizabeth Hoerner, operations and communications manager for the nonprofit.

The breakfast is an opportunity “to get together to hear stories from our program participants and alumni, learn about the impact that’s happening within our organization, how they can get involved in our programs,” Mrs. Hoerner said. “We have a wide variety of opportunities for people to get involved.”

Those participants included Anthony Wayne High School junior Arjun Jayarman, Ottawa Hills High School junior Nina Clark, and University of Cincinnati senior Jacob Lesick, who shared how Leadership Toledo’s Youth Leadership Toledo program prepared them to be some of Toledo’s future leaders.

The program features monthly sessions from August to May during the school day.

Students discuss topics that are meant to help “participants learn about themselves, the community, and how they can make a positive impact right now,” Leadership Toledo said on its website.

Arjun, who graduated from the program in 2024, said YLT taught him the importance of knowing people and communicating “because a leader is also as good as the people he knows.”

He didn’t just meet adults through the program, Arjun said; he was able to network with other high school students.

“Personally, one of my favorite days in YLT was the mock interview day,” he said. “I think 20 Signature Program alums came in and basically acted as bosses.”

The Signature Program is a 10-month adult program meant to teach residents how to become more confident leaders, the organization said on its website.

Nina said before participating in YLT, she didn’t realize how easy it was to connect with people in Toledo and how many nonprofits in the city are committed to helping people.

“There are so many resources here at Toledo and people you can call,” she said.

Being a leader is “not one set, defined thing,” Mr. Lesick said.

“Everyone has their own way of being a leader,” he said, “and Leadership Toledo, through Youth Leadership Toledo, as well as the youth and philanthropy programs, has taught me how to acknowledge and realize that everyone has their own way of leading and what that looks like and how bringing all of those together truly creates something powerful, wonderful, and impactful with the community.”