Camp Lejeune Leadership Seminar
Our Purpose & Why
Here at Camp Lejeune Leadership Seminar, we see the value in everyone. We want to be a catalyst for positive change and growth development. We hold fast to our fundamental beliefs upon which our non-profit organization was established in 2018: to empower, enrich and enlighten the lives of those we come into contact. We are passionate in our purpose to provide leadership training to spouses of active duty and retired military with the goal of enriching both our community, and individual lives, through the support provided, the connections made and the skills that are learned with each Seminar.
Our History
Camp Lejeune Leadership Seminar was established February 1, 2018. CLLS is designed after a program called, Command Team Seminar (CTS) established in 1990 by a Marine spouse stationed in El Toro, California. Her intent was to provide leadership training for Marine Corps Air Wing spouses using materials from the Army’s Commanders’ Spouses course. Driven by her passion and purpose, twelve military spouse volunteers were trained. Soon after the first training, future leadership seminars were planned, organized and executed. The initial goal was to educate Commanding Officer’s spouses in leadership. However, a program for Commanders’ spouses existed in Quantico, Virginia.
Through understanding and networking, it was decided that all Marine spouses could benefit from leadership education, regardless of rank, unit, location, active duty or retired. The target audience changed, and the name became Leadership Education Seminar (LES).
LES went through many iterations, locations, goals, and funding sources shifted. Funding became an important issue, as the Marine Corps was unable to financially support LES. Military spouses are resilient. As the program was well received and the education provided was extremely useful to spouses’ personal and professional development, the LES leaders established a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization. This pivot allowed for LES and future leadership seminars to became self-sustaining while offering personal and leadership education to military spouses.
In 2018, the CLLS team was excited to bring this program to Camp Lejeune, NC. Similar to the originating founders of LES, we established this seminar with 10 spouses, determined to implement a leadership seminar for the Camp Lejeune-New River spouses. Our seminar is designed to provide leadership education to all military spouses, of all services, active duty and retired. CLLS is a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization, and we employ more than 30 military spouse volunteers to coordinate, operate and conduct the spring and fall seminars.
CLLS is thriving and has been sustainable for the past 7 years. Historically, we are fortunate to have generous local businesses believe in our purpose and our mission of educating and developing military spouses. CLLS supports military spouses in their excursions through the military lifestyle. Our seminars promote servant leadership through engaging workshops, networking, and motivational speakers. We aim to empower spouses to lead in their communities and unlock their potential in a safe environment where they can develop lasting leadership skills.