The Fountain Hills Leadership Academy will be postponed until 2021.

This comprehensive experience, sponsored by the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association, is designed to develop better-informed citizens. The eight-week course is an immersion into the town’s governmental processes, civic and community services, public safety and environmental management. This year’s class was planned to run from Sept. 9 through Nov. 5 but, due to COVID-19 complications and concerns, the course has been delayed for a year.

According to an announcement from the Leadership Academy, the planning committee for the 2020 course met several times through the spring and early summer to determine if an event was even possible this year, given COVID-19 restrictions.

“As the state reopened, then closed again, the committee faced multiple obstacles,” reads the announcement. “They were diligent to consider every alternative and brought these to the board of directors.”

Everything from a smaller class size to Zoom meetings was considered and, in the end, the decision was made to postpone the event entirely.

The general sessions were planned as follows: About Fountain Hills and Fountain Hills Sanitary District; Fort McDowell; The Fountain Hills Times and public safety; youth and senior services; know your town government; environmental stewardship and Chamber of Commerce; local schools; cultural and civic engagement.

Sessions would be hosted at many of the locations noted above. However, the Community Center is currently closed, schools are organizing reopening procedures that likely will not allow unnecessary individuals on campus, the local theater and museum remain closed and tours at Fort McDowell will likely be unavailable.

“In order to protect participants and presenters, and to preserve the integrity of the Leadership Academy program, there will not be a 2020 class,” concluded the announcement.

For those interested in attending next available class, registration details are expected in the spring of 2021. For additional details, visit fhcultural-civic.org. From the home page, highlight “Civic” and click on “Leadership Academy” from the drop-down menu.