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Delta Leadership Program: Getting to ‘Yes’ (Photo Gallery)

OAKLEY, Calif. (March 28, 2025) – The 2025 Delta Leadership Program spent a beautiful spring afternoon Friday learning the fine art of negotiating mutually beneficial solutions at Big Break Regional Shoreline.

Man and woman seated at a conference table reach with shock to a faux pas they're hearing from someone unseen
Sometimes the art of negotiating is knowing what not to say. Gregg McMillon and Amber McDowell react with dismay to speaker Elizabeth Patterson (not shown) sharing a negotiating faux pas.

The program, a joint effort of the Delta Protection Commission and the Delta Leadership Foundation, is designed to support sustained leadership development in the region.

Elizabeth Patterson – vice chair of the Delta National Heritage Area Advisory Committee, former Delta Protection Commission member, and former mayor of Benicia – shared a wealth of knowledge before participants were split up into teams that had to negotiate to come up with the highest bid for fictional “Ugli oranges.” The key to success was transforming ostensibly adversarial relationships to ones focused on better outcomes for both parties.

Participants are also working on team projects to benefit the Delta, which they are scheduled to present at the May 15 Delta Protection Commission meeting.

Photo Gallery

Click on individual photos to see full-size.

Woman holding a handout gestures to a group she's addressing
Elizabeth Patterson, Vice Chair of the NHA Advisory Committee
Five adults standing on concrete in front of a flagpole staring at pieces of paper in their hands
L-R: Lea Emmons II, Kathleen Schaefer, Megan Harrison, Jack Cronin, Yuen Lenh
Man and woman seated outdoors on a sunny spring day, each holding papers, with the woman speaking and gesturing to someone unseen
L-R: Josh McMillon, Esther Mburu
Two women and a man negotiating outdoors on a sunny spring day, each holding pieces of paper
L-R: Megan Harrison, Jack Cronin, Yuen Lenh
Woman and man each holding paper and pens negotiating with each other outside of glass doors on a sunny spring day
L-R: LeighAnn Davis, Gregg McMillon
Women standing on concrete talking to each other on a sunny spring day
L-R: Amber McDowell, Megan Harrison
A woman reaches for an orange decorated with a smiling face and strong arms holding up stickers
Heather Swinney
Two women talking on a bench on a sunny, windy day in spring
L-R: Yuen Lenh, Heather Swinney
A woman smiles and gestures while talking to someone unseen across the table from her.
Megan Harrison
A smiling man holds up a piece of paper with the amount "$450,000" hand-written on it.
Gerry Goodie Jr.
Man looks attentively at an unseen person standing across the table from him
Jack Cronin
Closeup of a map in a binder full of tabs
Women gestures while talking to people across the table from her.
Beatriz Portillo
Woman smiling at someone next to her at a table
Kirsten Pringle
Four women at a table hold up pieces of paper with dollar amounts hand-written on them
L-R: Amber McDowell, Misty Kaltreider, Yuen Lenh, Esther Mburu

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