June 3, 2025

Celebrating the graduation of the NextGen Municipal Leadership Certificate Cohort 21! 

It started, as most journeys do, with anticipation and a hint of nervous energy. For 33 municipal leaders from 10 different municipalities, Day One of the NextGen Municipal Leadership Certificate marked not just the beginning of a 10-week program, but the opening chapter in a transformational story. 

From the moment they joined the program orientation, Cohort 21 stepped into a space designed for challenge, connection, and change. Week by week, they immersed themselves in critical conversations about what it means to lead with integrity, to navigate complexity, and to build communities that are inclusive, future-ready, and resilient. 

Their path was anything but ordinary. They wrestled with some questions in municipal leadership: 

• How can municipalities harness the power of AI to better serve their communities? 
• What does it take to lead with empathy and build high-performing, collaborative teams? 
• How can we evolve the way we lead to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world? 

Each session was a chapter in its own right, featuring insights from award-winning instructors, real-world challenges, and moments of personal breakthrough. The topics ranged from Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) to AI in municipalities, coaching, communication, and the evolving role of public leadership. By the final class, the transformation was unmistakable. 

At graduation, these weren’t just graduates; they were renewed leaders, ready to return to their communities with a stronger vision and sharper tools. 

None of this would have been possible without the collective spirit that defines the NextGen experience: the guidance of our advisory committee, our excellent instructors, our extended team at Brock University, the Goodman School of Business and the dedication of every single participant made this journey one to remember.  Congratulations to the County of Brantford, Town of Grimsby, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, City of Welland, Town of Lincoln, City of Port Colborne, City of Niagara Falls, Town of West Lincoln, Town of Fort Erie and the Regional Municipality of Niagara for believing in your most important asset and investing in them!

Cohort 21, we’re proud of the story you’ve written and even more excited for the chapters you’ll write next in your communities. Congratulations!

Want to be part of the next journey?
Your leadership story could begin here. Visit our program website or reach out to us at [email protected].