About the Program

A New Standard for Women’s Leadership Development in Baton Rouge

The JLBR Women’s Leadership Academy is a collaborative leadership development experience built on a powerful partnership between two institutions with deep roots in Louisiana.

The Junior League of Baton Rouge has spent nearly a century developing women leaders and mobilizing them for meaningful community impact. Through volunteer action, collaboration, and training, JLBR has prepared generations of women to lead with purpose and integrity across this region.

LSU Leadership Development Institute brings research-informed, academically grounded leadership curriculum developed through years of applied experience working with leaders across Louisiana’s most complex organizations.

Together, these institutions have created Baton Rouge’s first executive-level women’s leadership academy — a six-month experience that combines expert facilitation, peer learning, applied leadership exercises, and individualized reflection to strengthen leadership effectiveness among senior women across all sectors.

Participants complete the program with expanded leadership capacity, a personal leadership development plan, a strong cross-sector professional network, and formal credentials recognizing their completion of graduate-level leadership development.

Program at a Glance

Who Should Participate

Designed for Senior and Executive-Level Women Leaders

The JLBR Women’s Leadership Academy is designed for women who currently serve in senior leadership roles or who are on a clear path toward executive leadership within their organizations. Because participants bring significant leadership experience to the program, sessions focus on complex organizational challenges, strategic leadership, and leading effectively within large and dynamic environments.

Participants typically include:

• Vice Presidents and Executive Directors
• Senior administrators and department heads
• Founders and entrepreneurs
• Nonprofit, government, and public sector executives
• Professionals preparing to move into C-suite or enterprise-level leadership roles

The program welcomes leaders from corporate, nonprofit, government, education, and healthcare organizations. The cross-sector composition of each cohort is intentional — participants consistently identify their peers as one of the program’s most valuable resources.

JLBR membership is not required to apply.

Program Curriculum

Six Leadership Themes. One Cohort. Six Months.

The academy curriculum is structured around six leadership themes that build progressively — from personal leadership insight to strategic organizational impact. Each session is facilitated by subject-matter experts and designed to connect leadership research with real-world application through dialogue, reflection, and applied exercises.

Session 1 — Foundations of Women in Leadership | August 21, 2026

Participants explore the current landscape of women in leadership, clarify their leadership identity and development goals, and establish the cohort agreements that support trust and productive dialogue throughout the program.

Session 2 — Leading Self | September 18, 2026

Focused on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and leadership resilience. Participants examine the internal patterns that shape their leadership and develop practical strategies for leading from a values-aligned, sustainable foundation.

Session 3 — Leading Others | October 23, 2026

Examines relational leadership and the dynamics that shape team performance and trust. Participants strengthen their ability to navigate interpersonal and group dynamics and build effective, high-trust leadership relationships.

Session 4 — Leading Together | November 20, 2026

Explores how women lead alongside one another — including the dynamics that can unintentionally create barriers to collaboration — and builds practical skills for courageous, productive dialogue and collective leadership effectiveness.

Session 5 — Leading in Context | December 11, 2026

Addresses the organizational and cultural factors that shape women’s leadership experiences, including power dynamics, gender norms, sponsorship, and strategies for leading with confidence and influence within complex environments.

Session 6 — Leading Impact | January 15, 2027

Participants integrate their learning across all six sessions into a personal leadership vision and plan for sustained impact. The program concludes with Impact Presentations in which each participant shares her leadership growth and commits to her next steps.

Graduation Ceremony | January 29, 2027

The inaugural cohort is recognized at a formal graduation ceremony. Participants receive their certificate of completion and are welcomed into the founding alumni network of the JLBR Women’s Leadership Academy.

Core Facilitators

Lacy Dicharry, ABD, MS, MS, MBA, SHRM-SCP, PCC-ICF

Experienced leader combining lived experience, academic rigor, and transformational leadership to advance healing-centered workforce outcomes. Lacy is an award-winning advocate with a proven track record of leading national and international programs and driving meaningful impact across diverse communities. PhD candidate in Leadership and Human Resource Development.

Beverly Brooks Thompson, PhD, MS, MA, CFRE

Experienced senior executive in campaign management, corporate and community engagement, social responsibility, philanthropy, business, economic and workforce development, consulting, and cause marketing roles. Over 25 years in higher education, government, and nonprofit executive leadership. Exceptional network of high-level contacts across the United States and abroad with adept skills working on public / private partnerships involving government leaders, foreign dignitaries, Fortune 500 executives, celebrities, and ranking academics. Exceptional record of visionary leadership, building coalitions, and executing goals towards transformational outcomes.

Lauren Crump Wilson, MA

Experienced executive coach and consultant specializing in leadership development, organizational growth, and navigating complexity and transition. Works with executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and professional volunteers to build clarity, confidence, and effectiveness in decision-making. Expert in blending coaching and consulting to translate insight into action, strengthen leadership capacity, and drive meaningful, sustained impact. Holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University, an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited program.

Meredith Eicher

Executive coach and former accounting firm founder/partner with 20+ years of experience driving organizational transformation through leadership development. Recognized for turning around underperforming workplace cultures by leveraging self-awareness, executive coaching, and strategic process improvements. Skilled in facilitating one-on-one and team coaching sessions that foster accountability, effective communication, and behavioral change. Proven ability to guide leaders in improving decision-making, strengthening organizational structures, and increasing overall performance and revenue. Adept at creating psychologically safe environments that encourage honest dialogue, promote growth, and empower individuals to lead with confidence and lasting impact.

Terri P. Ricks, JD, MS

Accomplished executive leader and scholar-practitioner specializing in workforce development,
economic mobility, and poverty alleviation. Proven expertise building large-scale systems, cultivating strategic partnerships, and driving organizational transformation in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Published researcher on poverty competencies with active scholarship in adult learning and workforce education. Passionate about advancing equity and creating pathways to economic mobility for bilingual and multicultural communities.

Apply

Applications for the 2027 Women’s Leadership Academy will open in March 2027. 

The inaugural cohort is limited to 40 participants, selected through a competitive application process. Participants are chosen to ensure a cohort that is accomplished, diverse across sectors, and prepared for the level of engagement this program requires.

View our Participant Policy for the program here.

For Organizations

Support the Development of Women Leaders in Baton Rouge

Sponsoring the JLBR Women’s Leadership Academy is an opportunity to invest in the professional development of senior women leaders across our community — and to be recognized as a founding partner of a program that advances women’s leadership in Baton Rouge for years to come.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple investment levels, from organizational founding partnerships to individual donor support. Organizations may also sponsor an employee’s participation directly through the program application.

It is through organizational and individual sponsorships that JLBR is able to fulfill its mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Sponsor Packet

Sponsor Form

In-Kind Donation Form