2027 Leadership Academy

The goal of the Leadership Academy is to cultivate new leaders within the substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support fields through the enhancement of knowledge and development of competencies among mid-level managers.

Leadership Academy 2026 Testimonials

"I am now better able to lead in a calm and confident way, while utilizing supports and delegating when appropriate."

"It strengthened my confidence as a leader and gave me new tools and perspectives."

"This was a great opportunity for me to refine my own skills as a mentor."

"This program reignited my passion for leadership and was an excellent reminder of the importance of growing the next generation of leaders!"

"This has supported my professional growth and expanded my national network. It has been invaluable to my professional development."

"I learned so much about myself as a leader and was able to grow while supporting others in their leadership journey."

Protégés

The purpose of the Leadership Academy is to enhance the knowledge of a diverse group of promising individuals at an optimal point in their career. It is important that an applicant interested in being a Protégé has realistic leadership potential and is committed to their agency and the substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support fields.

Mentors

The Leadership Academy utilizes the expertise of current substance use treatment and recovery services professionals to guide and assist in the development of leadership skills among emerging leaders. Each protégé will be paired up with a mentor after the Mentor & Protégé Immersion trainings in Denver, Colorado and will be meeting online monthly from March to August to discuss leadership topics and goals.

Submission Deadline

The Protégé Application Form and the Mentor Interest Form are due on or before November 18, 2026. After that date, Leadership Academy staff will review all submissions and will notify applicants by December 14, 2026.

Contact Us

For questions about the Leadership Academy, please reach out to your regional center:

For HHS Region 5 Great Lakes ATTC, (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin), contact Jeanne Pulvermacher at jeanne.pulvermacher@wisc.edu and Kris Kelly at kris.kelly@wisc.edu
For HHS Region 6 South Southwest ATTC (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico), contact Kelly Pierrend at kelly.pierrend@austin.utexas.edu
For HHS Region 8 Mountain Plains ATTC (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming), contact staff at mpattc@casat.org
For HHS Region 9 Pacific Southwest ATTC (participation open to individuals living and working in Arizona, California, and Nevada), contact Brandy Oeser at boeser@mednet.ucla.edu