LOVE LOCK SMTX

Leadership class of 2023 starts fundraising for its community project

The Leadership San Marcos Class of 2023 is a three-woman team looking to make a change in their community with an art installation downtown.

At the LSM Love Lock SMTX Launch Party held Tuesday at the Price Center, former class members and guests came to celebrate the accomplishments of Brooke Spruiell and Tiffany Harris of the city of San Marcos, as well as Heather Demere, of Community Impact, as they launched their project, “Love Locks SMTX.”

Music was provided by the Marco Lozano Band and a table of heavy hot d’Oeuvres by Truly San Marcos made the evening festive, though the purpose was intensely serious, according to LSM officials.

For the three class members, their project is a true labor of love. It involves the installation of a Love Lock Art installation, a statue of a sort, on which locks are meant to be attached. The first lock was part of the evening’s silent auction event.

According to information presented during the evening, the project is “inspired by ancient custom,” where the legend is if an individual places a lock of some kind on a bridge or sculpture, and disposes of the key, that this lock is symbolically never to open.

The three organizers of the project stated, “Our hope is that this project brings joy and unity, attracts tourists, and provides a place to lock in your love for one another.”

The class goal is to “raise $35,000 for materials and labor, and some additional funds for an inventory of locks.” The class members indicated that funds raised after the completion of the project will go to Greater San Marcos Youth Council, the local shelter for youth.

Once the project is complete, the trio said they will host a Love Lock Launch Party and sponsor a“Walk and Lock”unveiling event. Donations may either be through a sponsorship or by individuals and couples.

Started in 1985 with the idea of training new leaders, and later instituting the concept of proposing and carrying out projects in 1996, LSM is known for its dedication to empowering people. Those selected for the class receive a year of directed education--one portion of the commitment. The long term participation comes in terms of their leadership presence within the San Marcos community, said Michelle Mehrens, a past class member, president and board member, who is also a professional photographer and a realtor for Coldwell Banker.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shortened some aspects of the normally two-year program for this year’s class, she said. For that reason, LSM is opening up applications earlier this year to try and interview and select ideally 10-11 class members for the next cycle of classes and of course, then a project. This will bring back the normal sequence of one year of education and one year of project building for those chosen to participate. The multifaceted goals of community awareness, personal and professional growth and civic involvement in creating a new cadre of civic leaders is at the core of the program, Mehrens said.

“It has evolved over the years,” Mehrens said.

Applications go out April 15 and are expected to come back May 15, she said. Anyone interested in Leadership San Marcos should consider applying. This is a change from the past as well where before applications were gathered in the fall. By moving the schedule forward, Mehrens said the hope is that a larger class will be brought on board.

The board will review the applications and schedule interviews. Those chosen to be interviewed will meet with a panel of alumni and based on that criteria, move forward as a member of the new class.

Mehrens said that selecting a group that works well as a team is paramount.

The new class is a twoyear commitment. In the first year, the class takes actual classes. During that time, they are also putting together their community project. It has to be approved by the board, Mehrens said.

Mehrens’ class graduated in June 2020 and she started her LSM journey in 2018. She said her class’s project involved identifying a gap in accommodations and accessibility in the trails of San Marcos and so they decided to create an ADA compliant access with what is now known as the Matilda Bridge, located in the Dante’s Trail near Hunter Road. Matilda is a character name from Dante’s Purgatoria.

“The idea was to allow access for everyone,” she said. It was a partnership with San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department and the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance who built the bridge. She said people can look around and perhaps not be aware that they are in the midst of projects developed and executed by LSM since the mid-1990s.