Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Invites America's Fortune 500 Companies to 'Do Their Part' in Helping to Cultivate Tomorrow's Leaders

LOS ANGELES, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership, the country's top not-for-profit youth leadership development organization, today embarked on a new initiative that invites the CEOs of America's Fortune 500 companies to do their part in helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders.  

"HOBY is all about inspiring high school students to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation," said Javier LaFianza, president and CEO of HOBY. "Through personal involvement or that of their organizations, the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies can have a dramatic impact on tomorrow's leaders who, in turn, will help lead companies and make this a better country."

With programs around the United States and in many foreign nations, HOBY provides leading businesses multiple ways to become involved in helping to make a difference. These include sponsoring corporate volunteer work; providing in-kind donations; speaking at HOBY seminars; participating in matching gift programs; and, of course, contributing financially to help sustain HOBY's ongoing work.

Working with leading businesses is not new to HOBY. Its board of trustees includes representation from Bank of America, Black Entertainment Television, Kraft Foods, Microsoft and Aeropostale, while its board of governors includes executives from Google, Hilton Hotels Corporation, and Goldman Sachs & Company. HOBY's new initiative, launching this week through a direct mail campaign, speaks directly to Fortune 500 CEOs and calls upon them to "become involved in calling forth leaders for our future."

"Thanks to the support of many generous individuals, organizations and corporations, HOBY continues to grow and deliver quality youth leadership programs to high school students worldwide," said LaFianza. "Each year, more and more HOBY alumni go on to lead local service groups, start nonprofit organizations and direct major social-minded businesses. The support of business leaders is both inspiring to our participants and essential to our ability to keep these important programs going." Organizations interested in learning more about how they can become involved with HOBY should contact LaFianza directly at 818-851-3980, extension 303, or at [email protected].

This spring more than 9,000 high school students are expected to participate in one of 70 HOBY seminars taking place at various locations throughout the country. These students then become eligible to attend the 2010 HOBY World Leadership Congress, which attracts 400 youth ambassadors from the United States and more than 15 foreign countries. The 2010 Congress will be held at the University of California, Los Angeles July 23-30.

For more than 50 years, Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership has helped to cultivate tomorrow's leaders by inspiring a global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. Widely considered the country's top not-for-profit youth leadership development organization, HOBY programs annually provide nearly 10,000 local and international high school students the opportunity to participate in unique leadership training, service learning and motivation-building experiences. HOBY also provides adults the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of youth by volunteering, and today more than 4,000 volunteers and over 365,000 alumni proudly make up the HOBY family. Further information may be obtained at www.hoby.org.

SOURCE Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership