In the late 1980’s Vice President Dan Quayle asked America how we were doing with our greatest natural asset?  Reporters and civic leaders were not exactly sure to which resource he was referring. He made it clear that our greatest national treasure is our young people.  Soon after a group of marketplace and civic leaders in Washington State began an annual Student Leadership Forum in conjunction with the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast or the Seattle/King County Prayer Breakfast.   Hundreds of students from around the state came together to learn leadership through the lens of Jesus.  Many marketplace leaders made themselves available as seminar leadership and small group facilitators.  This work continued through the 1990’s and then event leaders discerned to put this event on hold until new leadership emerged.  That took place in 2005.

 

Jack McMillan and Don Valencia, key marketplace leaders, took the lead and the Washington Student Leadership Forum was re-birthed. Soon after the Lord directed friends who stood behind this work to encourage Jeff Vancil to make the student leadership movement his primary focus.  With the help of many highly committed volunteers (like Barry Rowan, Heather Valencia, and David Bluhm) and various WSL Associates (Dan Glanville, Chris Sharpe, Inga Morberg Hadder, Brian Williams, and Amy McNair), the WSL Forum grew in focus, quality, and quantity.  Highly competent marketplace facilitators invested in the next generation of Jesus-centered leaders.  The Forum sustained a 3 to 1 ratio between incumbent and emerging leaders.  The intergenerational mix generated a movement in our state.  In addition, a strategic partnership with students in Jackson Mississippi began in 2008.  Soon another key event was added: Malibu Leadership Weekend.  This event experienced a remarkable 1 to 1 ratio between generations.  Throughout this growth, the leaders of the movement committed to model a relational discipleship priority.  This especially centered in the Vision 16 Community at the University of Washington.  From this base, Washington Student Leadership grew to impact students through intergenerational friendship on two-thirds of the four year universities in our state.  Tyler Gorsline was hired in 2012 and is taking increasing responsibility for the health of this strategic, godly, and even revolutionary movement.  We look forward to implementing key WSL initiatives in the months and years to come.    
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