(The NEXTUp Leaders Class of 2025: Hilary Dunsmoor, Julia Mackey, Christy McCay, Jessica Lamay, Julia Baumgartner, Quentin Comus, Colleen Prinster, Reed Newcomer, Kat Ketterer, Chad Young, Nina Livengood, Amanda Windlinx and Brent Poole | Photo courtesy of Bend Chamber)
On May 15, friends, colleagues and supporters gathered to celebrate the graduation of the inaugural cohort of the NEXTUp Leaders program. Over the course of five months, these emerging leaders engaged in an intensive professional development journey that included a full-day retreat followed by seven half-day sessions.
Each session was thoughtfully designed to build on the last, beginning with foundational leadership principles and progressing through topics such as effective communication, change management, and strategic thinking. Local subject matter experts generously contributed their time and expertise to shape the curriculum and lead dynamic discussions tailored to real-world leadership challenges.
Nina Livengood, loan officer with U.S. Bank, said, “NextUp is an excellent program for anyone looking to grow personally and professionally in their career journey. I loved the intimate class setting and the diversity of thoughts and perspectives that were shared during each lesson. Talena and every single speaker we heard were genuine and filled with knowledge. A great experience overall!”
As a result, graduates are now equipped with a robust set of leadership tools and are better prepared to guide projects, inspire individuals, and lead teams with confidence. Equally valuable are the strong peer connections and networks they cultivated throughout the program.
The NEXTUp Leaders Class of 2025
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Special thanks to U.S. Bank, William Smith Properties, and the Old Mill District for their generous support in bringing this program to life. We are also deeply grateful to the subject matter experts who shared their knowledge and insight with the class:
- Erik Berglund, Founder, The Language of Leadership
- Scott Nelson, Director of Imaging Service Lines, St. Charles Health System
- Annalise Koltai, Leadership Coach and Facilitator
- Brett Larson, Humessence
- Kristi Runberg, Nurse Manager and Leadership Development Consultant, St. Charles Health System
- Brittania Leja, Organizational Development Consultant, St. Charles Health System
- Eric Plantenberg, Entrepreneur, Founder/Curator, Abundant Living
- Su Embree, Founder of Saute, Cofounder of The Script and Former Owner of DHM Research
- Sean Minard, Assoc. Director of Talent Development, Chewy.com and Founder, Apogee Bend
- Joe Taylor, President/Owner, Taylor Development
- Chloe Manke, Director of Development, Friends of the Children
- Cyrus Mooney, Business Advocate, City of Bend
- Emily Boynton, Development Director, Mosaic Community Health
“It was incredibly gratifying to see the growth of these individuals through our months together. We witnessed real transformation, deep integration of the material into their work, and meaningful relationships developed with one another. I am so grateful I was able to take the journey with these outstanding humans,” said Talena Barker, Vice President of Leadership Development with the Bend Chamber.
NEXTUp Leaders is an extension of the highly regarded 31-year Leadership Bend program and a bridge from our Bend Emerging Talent programming. Local employers have voiced a need for support in developing promising talent within their workplaces, allowing them to deepen their bench of leaders, retain key hires, and promote from within. NEXTUp also allows participants to build strong peer relationships through this cohort-based model.
The mission of BendNEXT Foundation is to strengthen our businesses, economy, and our community through workforce development and retention, leadership development, and activating partnerships to tackle our region’s most pressing issues. Our initiatives address obstacles to a robust workforce, including employee needs for housing, affordability, childcare, and other essential supports, as well as creating a business culture of belonging in an informed and connected community.
The Bend Chamber strives to create an environment where businesses, their employees and our community excel together through collaboration, advocacy, resources and leadership to meet Bend’s business challenges.
