Twenty-nine individuals from different walks of life bought into Vince Lombardi’s famous quote that, “Leaders are made, they are not born.” As a result, their local Kern County communities might be better off in the future. All 29 successfully passed the Kern County Network for Children’s (KCNC) 2009 Leadership Development Program and were honored during commencement ceremonies held at University Square in Bakersfield on July 16. Each graduate had close ties with KCNC as a member of a collaborating local government or community agency, organization, school or business concerned with improving the health and well being of children and families in their communities. Since the program’s 1997 inception, it has helped individuals learn to enhance natural leadership skills so they can make a positive impact in their communities or organizations. Over the years, 500 have passed the training. More