With an objective of preparing past club presidents for leadership roles at the district level, and beyond, District 5010 established the District Leadership Academy in partnership with District 5110.  It included courses in Rotary structure, The Rotary Foundation, communication, youth programs, membership, strategic planning, and public image.  Soon graduates began saying  “I wish I’d taken the District Leadership Academy (DLA) before I became president!” 
 
The academy evolved and all Rotarians were invited to participate with the endorsement of their clubs.  Over the life of the DLA nearly 300 Rotarians have vastly expanded their knowledge of Rotary and become leaders at the club, district and zone levels.
 
In 2020, the DLA is being replaced by the District 5010 Growth and Learning initiative – to answer requests to include more students, provide flexibility in the order of the topics undertaken, eliminate the registration fee, maintain up to the minute information, and make it possible to undertake study in “small bites” on line, and on-the-go. 
 
More information about the new learning model is available here on the website, or by emailing: rotary5010learning@gmail.com.
 
Thanks go out to faculty that laid the foundation for informing and training District 5010 leaders over the past 18 years, particularly Deans Wanda Cooksey, Carolyn Jones, Bill Hopper, Gayle Knepper, Diane Fejes, and Jodi Stuart.  Other pages here list DLA faculty and alum.