Connecting Californians for Reform summit offered at the Great Valley Center via Skype

The American Leadership Forum and Reviving California invite you to the 4th Annual Community Summit - Connecting Californians for Reform.  Join regional leaders, community members, students, journalist and elected officials across the state on Friday, October 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in on of seven locations statewide that are hosting the Summit simultaneously via Skype.

In Modesto, participants will gather in the Community Room at the Great Valley Center, 201 Needham Street, to hear topic experts discuss specific ballot measures and how their outcomes will affect democracy in California. Presentations will be followed by interactive small group dialogues with the opportunity to share highlights between venues. Dejeune Shelton, Senior Fellow with the Great Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum, will moderate the Modesto session.
“This is the second year we’ve incorporated Skype technology to connect disparate regions around the state,” said Anu Natarajan, Program Director for Reviving California. “Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in the past year has enabled us to not only harness Skype technology, but also Microsoft’s evolving technology platforms for civic engagement.”

Featured Summit presenters include:

• Betty Yee, Board member, California Board of Equalization
• Joe Mathews, Contributing Writer, LA Times; Editor, Zócalo Public Square; Senior Fellow, New American Foundation; Co-author, California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It
• Yolie Flores, President & CEO, Communities for Teaching Excellence & former board member of the Los Angeles Unified School District
• Mike Genest, Chairman, Capitol Matrix Consulting & former Director,
• California Department of Finance
• Bob Brownstein, Policy Director, Working Partnerships USA & ALF Senior Fellow
• Michele Siqueiros, Executive Director, Campaign for College Opportunity

The Summit is free and open to the public. Although there is no charge, space is limited, so participants must pre-register. To register for the Modesto location, contact Linda Hoile at the Great Valley Center, 209-522-5103 ext. 140 or email linda@greatvalley.org. Check-in is at 8:30 a.m. and the program starts promptly at 9 a.m.

This year’s event features a social media sharing section in which the public is encouraged to use the Twitter hashtag #CALReform to Tweet questions and comments prior to the Summit. Day-of participants will be asked to do the same, in addition to sharing photos and highlights via twitter.com/revivingca and facebook.com/revivingca. For more information go to www.alfsv.org

Reviving California is a project of the Common Good Collaborative, powered by American Leadership Forum – Silicon Valley. Since 2008, Reviving California has played an active role in the state’s fiscal and governance reform efforts by focusing on educating and engaging the diverse population of Silicon Valley. The goal is to replace political rhetoric with authentic conversations, move beyond the blame game, reward integrity in the political process and create the conditions for individuals, networks and communities to engage in democracy. For more information, visit www.alfsv.org/revivingca

Summit Partners include the three American Leadership Forum chapters - Silicon Valley, Mountain Valley (Sacramento region) and Great Valley (Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties); Coro Center for Civic Leadership-San Francisco and University of San Francisco; Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good; Inland Empire Economic Partnership; San Diego Foundation and UC San Diego, and Southern California Leadership Network.

ALF’s “Hillside Garden Party” fundraiser set for October 6

The American Leadership Forum – Great Valley Chapter invites you to the 2012 Hillside Garden Party – an evening of captivating conversation, wonderful wines and brews, and delectable delights by Greens Catering. The fundraiser will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, and individual tickets are on sale for $75. It will be held at the same venue as last year’s party, in a beautiful, countryside garden setting in Modesto.

The focus of this year’s event is to raise scholarship funds for leaders of non-profits and smaller organizations who do not have the means to participate in ALF without financial support. Scholarship funds raised last year are currently supporting several participants in the ALF-Great Valley Chapter’s Class III, which began this year-long transformational leadership development program in June.

Multi-level sponsorship opportunities are also available, from $500 for a “Supporting” sponsorship” which includes admission of ten guests, up to a “Uniting” sponsorship for $10,000 that includes admission for 20 guests.

Purchase your tickets or sponsorship today and help us unite and strengthen our valley’s leaders to address our region’s challenges and serve the public good.

Click here to download information on sponsorships and purchasing tickets. For more information contact Kathy Halsey at kathy@greatvalley.org or (209) 522-5103, ext. 109.

Class III begins transformational leadership development journey

The challenges facing the San Joaquin Valley are daunting. We struggle with high rates of unemployment, housing foreclosures, obesity and asthma, as well as low average household income and low educational attainment levels. The rapid population expansion of the last decade has placed increasing pressures on transportation, air quality and water resources. We must address these challenges and many others to effect a positive outcome for our communities.

Solving these complex problems, however, is further complicated by diverse ways of thinking and approaches to dealing with issues. Our culture, how and where we are raised, and our life experiences all effect how we think and solve problems. Unfortunately, these differences many times get in the way of collaborative problem solving. The need for inclusive, effective and cooperative leadership between government, business, education and non-profit community leaders has never been greater.

To address these needs the Great Valley Center joined with community leaders in 2008 to begin the American Leadership Forum (ALF) Great Valley Chapter, understanding that ALF recognizes, respects and embraces these differences and uses them to promote collaborative problem solving within and among communities.

The chapter seeks to build a diverse network of leaders in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties who are equipped and motivated to address our area’s pressing issues.

Over the course of a year, ALF Fellows come together for an intense, national-caliber training on how to solve problems and work together to tackle challenges facing our communities and region. Most participants say it is life-changing and the single best program for developing and refining their leadership skills.

A key factor in class selection is representation from a broad spectrum of organizations, backgrounds and cultures – involving a cross section of leaders who might not ordinarily interact. This builds understanding and valuing of diversity and creates bridges of relationship and trust within the network of leadership.

How does our region benefit?

Led by ALF national facilitators Kevin McCarthy and Kristen Jacobsen, the 22 leaders selected as Fellows for Class III began their year-long, leadership development journey in June. During their training they will establish relationships built on trust and cooperation; be armed with new skills in dialogue, systems thinking and community leadership for taking on complex issues; learn to appreciate diverse views, and identify resources to turn dialogue into action.

The ALF program strives to motivate “servant leaders” to a lifetime of active public engagement and to become catalysts for positive community change. In addition to their leadership positions on the job, the Senior Fellows serve as board members and as volunteers in a variety of community organizations – spreading their new insights and skills out to their communities.


The transformation that Fellows report taking place within them during the program eventually translates in to transformational change for our region.

Park leaders learn to guide strategic change at National Parks Institute

The third National Parks Institute, a 12-day seminar organized collaboratively by University of California, Merced, National Parks Service (NPS) and Great Valley Center, came to a successful conclusion on April 28. The NPI seminar, which migrated from Fort Baker in Marin County to UC Merced and wound up in Yosemite National Park, brought together 27 leaders in park and protected area management, including 16 from around the U.S. and 11 from countries around the world.  

Under the theme of “Leading Strategic Change”, participants tackled topics ranging from the affects of climate change on national parks to exploring how to build value to the park visit experience in order to compete for scarce resources.  

  

Thomas Lovejoy, Professor of Biology at George Mason University and chief biodiversity advisor to the President of World Bank, spoke to the group during a public plenary lecture at UC Merced. Lovejoy pointed out, "We have twice as much biologically active nitrogen in the world today than is natural, and the consequences are many dead zones in our oceans."

The NPI class also heard presentations from Stanford University Professor of Management and author Charles O'Reilly; Keshav Varma, Program Director for World Bank's Global Tiger Initiative; UC Merced Professor of Technology Management Erik Rolland, and dozens of other experts from the NPS, universities, and community and partnership organizations.  They also heard from past seminar participants who were inspired by their NPI experience to instigate new park programs and initiatives. To view a video of some of this year's speakers click here.

Each class member brought an “individual challenge case” to discuss with their colleagues, and during the seminar they worked on action plans to address their challenges.  Watch brief videos of some of the participants as they discuss challenges they are currently facing in their parks and why they wanted to attend NPI: Tom Leatherman,  Sula Jacobs, Stan Austin, and Judy Forte.

NPI’s third class left with fresh strategic planning and leadership skills and examples of successful partnerships and programs from parks around the country and the other side of the globe. Class members also gained a broader understanding of some of the complex issues faced by their colleagues, and established a network of new contacts.

Steve Thede, Deputy Superintendent of Badlands National Park, said of his experience, "The NPI helps the NPS (and part of the international community) move forward in our thinking, understanding and capacity, with the promise of much more in the future. Without opportunities such as this, we won't take the time, nor have the benefit of the expertise of those who shared with us, to see how what we do fits into the bigger picture...and how we can take more strategic and  effective actions."

Read more about the 2012 National Parks Institute through UC Merced or NPS Digest.

Applications Sought For Park and Public Land Managers Executive Leadership Seminar

International leaders in park, protected area and cultural resource management from governments and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply for an Executive Leadership Seminar being offered by UC Merced, the National Park Service, the Institute at the Golden Gate, the Great Valley Center and the National Parks Conservation Association’s Center for Park Management.

The 11-day intensive management seminar on leadership, innovation and organization renewal runs April 27 through May 7, 2010. Participants will have the opportunity to meet industry leaders and innovative thinkers with expertise in leadership and park management, and will be able to form a network of global public land management leaders.

The seminar has been made possible by generous gifts from NPCA’s Center for Park Management, Toyota USA Foundation and The Yosemite Fund.

→ Read the entire press release here

→ More about the program: http://parkleadership.ucmerced.edu.

→ Program contact: Angelina Ceja, angelina@greatvalley.org or (209) 522-5103

Great Valley Leadership Institute, Class X

In the fast-changing Central Valley, our leaders need to make wise decision about our communities, resources and infrastructure. The Great Valley Leadership Institute (GVLI) equips elected officials with the skills, knowledge, and inspiration they need to guide the Valley to the best possible future.

GVLI is a 4 1/2 day program that allows elected officials the opportunity to spend time with expert faculty on topics such as community building, effective negotiations, thinking ethically, creating coalitions, and working with the media. This year's Institute took place earlier this month at Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp, CA. 18 members of school boards, city councils and county boards of supervisors participated.

Here's what participants of GVLI Class X had to say about their experience:

"Eye opening experience that will help me find the best in me and stimulate me to dig deep and find all that I have to offer."

"Empowered me and has given me increased awareness of the need to create change and accomplish my purpose for being an elected."

"The dynamic scholars and GVLI staff are an exceptional asset to this program. Thank you for making such a difference in my life."

GVLI was underwritten by the California State Association of Counties, League of California Cities, Comcast, and Southern California Edison.

Check out the pictures from this year's class below:

American Leadership Forum, Great Valley Chapter

Take a look at some pictures from this year's inaugural class of the American Leadership Forum (ALF), Great Valley Chapter.

→ Learn more about the ALF Great Valley Chapter here

→ Learn more about the national ALF office here

Welcome ALF Northern San Joaquin Valley chapter

We are proud to announce that Stanislaus, Merced, and San Joaquin counties are the heart of the newest ALF chapter. The chapter will be the 11th in the nation and the 3rd in California. It is true testament to the success of the organization which has been going strong for 20 years.

Currently, the network of leaders is being formed, and will pay dividends across city and county lines, but also social, economic and political boundaries. Through a year of hard work, facilitated by nationally-known experts, each ALF class member will be better able to address challenges for the region, workplace and personal life. The inaugural class will establish relationships that build trust and cooperation, and will be armed with new skills for taking on difficult issues, appreciating diverse views, and identifying resources to turn dialogue into action.

The inaugural class features 18 outstanding leaders who have committed to strengthening their leadership skills and networks in the region over the course of
the next year. These fellows are:

Steve Arounsack (California State University, Stanislaus), Debra Brady (First United Methodist Church, Modesto), Debra Brown (Kaiser Hospital, Modesto), Wendy Byrd (Modesto/Stanislaus NAACP & Modesto Junior College), Ben Duran (Merced College), Lisa Finer (Wells Fargo), Ron Foster (Foster Farms), John Garamendi, Jr. (University of California, Merced), Kathy Halsey (AT&T), Flip Hassett (United Way, Merced), Dennis Lee (Central Valley Asian American Chamber of Commerce), Linda Lopez (Office of Congressman Cardoza), Noah Lor (City of Merced, City Council), Virginia Madueno (Imagen Public Relations), Marian Martino (Martino Graphic Design), Pat Patrick (Lodi Chamber of Commerce), Robert Santos (Monte Vista Small Animal Hospital), Cynthia Wagner-Weick (University of the Pacific).

→Find out more about ALF here