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Cedar Hill graduates 25 from inaugural Citizens Leadership Academy
Summary
Cedar Hill honored the Citizens Leadership Academy class of 2025 Thursday, celebrating 25 graduates from a seven‑session program that connected residents with city departments and produced strong follow-up interest in boards, commissions and volunteering.
Colby Collins, assistant to the city manager, and Sofia Enzmann, communications and engagement manager, presented the Citizens Leadership Academy class of 2025 to the Cedar Hill City Council, saying the program drew more than 30 applicants and culminated with 25 graduates after seven interactive sessions with city leaders and departments.
"We had over 30 applicants apply," Collins told the council, noting the class was capped at 25 and two participants dropped during the session. The presenters said sessions included the city manager's office, public safety (police and fire), public works, neighborhood services, library, planning, parks and recreation, economic development and, for the first time, Cedar Hill ISD.
One class project served as a focus group to develop ideas for honoring victims of a historic tornado; city historians and staff from parks and library briefed participants and the class provided feedback that staff said will inform next steps.
Two graduates offered short testimonials at the council meeting. One participant said, "I absolutely fell in love with how community-centered a lot of the initiatives were," and expressed interest in serving on boards and volunteering. Presenters reported that 22 of 25 graduates completed an anonymous follow-up survey and that 100% of respondents said they planned to pursue service on a board or commission, volunteer, or otherwise stay engaged.
Council members thanked the staff for designing the program and noted the academy’s role in building a pipeline of informed residents ready to serve. "The strength of this city is the level of community engagement," one councilor said, praising the academy as a means to cultivate future civic leaders.
The city announced a public event for GIS Day (Nov. 19) and invited attendees to meet city GIS professionals; council members publicly recognized the graduates during the meeting.
