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Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News January 29, 2008 - Filling the community leadership void By: Kelly Lucas, for the Daily Tribune Who are our community leaders? In answering this, I challenge you to think beyond the standard answers of mayor, school superintendents and corporate executives, though they still play an important role. There is a new group of leaders emerging in the south Wood County area. As work force reductions have eroded our region's leadership base over the past decade, we have faced a void of strong, motivated leaders. One effort now under way to rebuild this loss to our community is the Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI), a program that originated out of the Community Progress Initiative. ALI includes a diverse mix of participants -- nominated by area nonprofit agencies, public and private schools, businesses, colleges, ethnic groups, local government, service groups, and other organizations. This diversity is creating a network of individuals who are fostering strategic connections and expanding our communities' leadership base. Their work also ties into the Community Foundation's goal of increasing social capital. This means building networks of individuals and organizations to foster increased trust, information-sharing and cooperation. These are essential in building thriving communities that work well for all citizens. Rich Harwood of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation refers to the efforts that engaged citizens undertake as "pockets of change." These endeavors are usually small compared to the overall challenge they attempt to address. But over time, the ripples that these pockets create begin to reach each other, producing newly shared values and relationships and leaders, helping shape new conditions in a community. One example of a "pocket of change" started with an idea from three ALI participants: Melissa Loken, Dale Arendt and Carol Davis saw an opportunity to focus on improving recycling efforts in our community to benefit both the environment and local businesses. But they weren't sure if community members shared their interest. So, in January, they held an inaugural meeting. They were pleasantly surprised by the 22 participants who attended. They included a broad representation from municipalities, local businesses, environmental experts, the League of Women Voters, and from individuals who just considered themselves "concerned citizens." This grassroots, citizen-led group is now looking at specific ways to create a greener future for the greater South Wood County area. You can expect to hear much more from them in the coming months. This is just one example of how a new generation of leaders here is working together in new ways. To create thriving communities, we need the kind of leaders who Rich Harwood describes when he says, "It is leadership from within our communities that is most needed and vital to our future; a leadership that will come from individuals of all walks of life -- including small neighborhood groups, foundations, United Ways, public broadcasting, civic organizations, as well as from folks who simply join together to solve a problem." If you are interested in more information about ALI, or opportunities for engagement that help strengthen our shared community, send me an e-mail at klucas@cfswc.org.
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