About Leadership Big Canoe

Leadership for the Rest of Us: Why It’s Time to Bring Leadership Big Canoe Online

Leadership Big Canoe (LBC) is touted as one of the most respected programs in our community—a thoughtfully designed experience that gives property owners an inside look at how Big Canoe operates and how they can play a role in its future.

But for many residents, participation just isn’t possible.

If you work full-time, live here part-time, travel often, or have caregiving responsibilities, attending in-person classes once a month on weekday mornings—September through April—is a real challenge.

So here’s the question: If Leadership Big Canoe is such an important and valuable program, why not share it with the widest group of people possible?

More Access. More Engagement.

LBC offers much more than information. It fosters connection. It builds understanding. It inspires people to get involved.

But right now, those benefits are limited to the 30–40 people each year who can make the schedule work. For the rest of us—who care just as deeply about this community—there’s no good alternative.

By offering LBC content online—through a modern platform with recorded presentations, volunteer stories, and behind-the-scenes tours—we could open the door to hundreds more residents who want to understand how things work and how they can help.

You could still charge a modest fee (though many would argue it should be free to property owners), but the value in extending access—both inside and outside the gates—would far outweigh the cost.

Education Has Changed. Communication Should Too.

We live in a digital age. Most of us learn through videos, podcasts, and interactive tools on our own time, at our own pace.

Why not apply that same approach to LBC?

Short videos. Slide decks. Interactive modules. Archived projects. Even a podcast. These tools already exist—and the content is already being delivered every year.

This isn’t about replacing the in-person program. It’s about amplifying its reach.

Aligning With the Board’s Stated Goals

One of the POA Board’s stated goals is to improve communication.

It’s not just about messages from the Board to residents. It also means improving the flow of information from leadership and management to the community at large—so residents can better understand how decisions are made, what challenges we face, and where their voice or talents might be needed.

That’s exactly what Leadership Big Canoe already does—but only for a small group of people who have the ability to attend.

Let’s do it for everyone.

There’s also a broader opportunity here: LBC content is fantastic marketing material.

Showcasing how our community invests in leadership, civic engagement, and volunteerism tells a powerful story about who we are.

Making even a portion of this content public-facing could help attract the kind of residents and families we all want as neighbors—thoughtful, involved, and committed to community.

The Time Is Right

We already have:

The content
The interest
The tools

What’s needed now is the will to share it—so that anyone who wants to understand and contribute to Big Canoe has the chance to do so, regardless of their schedule.

Because if the goal is an informed, involved, and inspired community, then Leadership Big Canoe shouldn’t be limited by time or availability.

Let’s meet people where they are—at their pace, on their terms—and make leadership in Big Canoe more accessible, more inclusive, and more impactful for us all.

Thank you for reading my platform. I hope you found it informative and helpful in understanding my vision for our community.

Have a question or something to say? Send me an email: jcfortheboard@gmail.com

Prefer to talk? Book a time with me.

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J Cornelius — Candidate for the POA Board
jcornelius.com/poa

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead