MAINTAINING ENERGY AND FOCUS
THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER
April 7-9, 2008 ·
Mystic, CT
NEN ·
CWLA/New England Region ·
NE Association of Commissioners and Directors ·
Klingberg Family Center ·
Citizens Bank
Leadership. It's probably the most written-about topic in every sector of the workforce today, as baby boomers move out and a smaller group of Gen-X and Millennials move in to take their place. We've all seen the articles: on global leadership, collaborative leadership, transparent leadership, adaptive leadership, strength-based leadership, leadership profiles and inventories, trends in leadership, cultural and gender influences on leadership. So come consider women and leadership. At this, our 5th Annual Summit for experienced and aspiring leaders (who also happen to be women), we will meet in a closed session to share our experiences, develop new skills, and continue to build our professional and social networks for the future.
WORKSHOPS
DAY 1
USING YOUR HEART TO CHANGE MINDS: REFLECTIONS ON ADVOCACY
Speaking out and advocating for children and families has a huge potential to impact public policy. Developing and defining the message, creating the framework, and leveraging relationships are key parts of advocacy. Women advocates enjoy some unique opportunities as well as challenges and consequences as advocates. The panelists here will reflect on the challenges and rewards of "speaking up." In addition to talking about their own journeys, they will help participants develop strategies to incorporate advocacy into their day-to-day work.
Lisa Guillette is the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association, an organization that works with local, state, and national child welfare, government, and community organizations to coordinate program development and advocacy on behalf of Rhode Island foster families and the children for whom they care. Lisa has a BSW and an MBA from Providence College. She was selected by Congressman Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island to receive the 2005 Angels of Adoption Award for outstanding work on behalf of children in the state of Rhode Island. In 2007, Lisa was honored by the RI Parent Information Network with their Community Champion Award and selected as a 2007 Women of Achievement honoree by the YWCA of Northern Rhode Island for her role in leading an effective advocacy campaign on behalf of older youth in foster care.
Cindy Ryman-Yost is the Mountain/Plains Regional Director at CWLA. She has served as president of the Nebraska Association of Homes and Services for Children, COO of Cedars Youth Services and executive director of the Lincoln Children's Museum in Nebraska. Cindy holds an MA in counseling psychology and currently serves on the board of directors for Planned Parenthood and WealthSpring, a women's endowment fund. Her advocacy work on behalf of children and families has included regular newspaper columns and a weekly radio spot. In 2000, Cindy received the YWCA Tribute to Women Award for her work to empower women and eliminate racism.
Jeanne Milstein is Connecticut's Child Advocate. Appointed by Governor John G. Rowland and confirmed by the General Assembly, she is the public voice for children in need who have no one to speak on their behalf. She advocates on issues ranging from conditions at the state's juvenile correctional facilities to the quality of child protection and the delivery of children's mental health services. Guided by the adage that "if you are not outraged, you are not paying attention," she brings to her post a passionate concern for children and unwavering tenacity.
DAY 2 AM
OPENING: BALANCING ON THE SEESAW OF WORK AND LIFE
Take a deep breath. Slow down. Begin to look at your life; begin to take a look at your struggle to balance the competing demands on your time. What does it mean to be "in balance"? Is there such a place? If so, how do we get there? How do we start on the path towards a more mindful, centered existence? Together we will examine the dynamic nature of balance, understand the impact of the work-life balance dilemma, and explore the concept of "value-centered" decision-making.
Leslie M. Ackles is director of the UMASS Donahue Institute Organizational Development and Training Group. She has 23 years of experience working in the public sector, is a work/life balance coach and has delivered numerous workshops on the issue. Ginny O'Brien, the author of Success on Our Own Terms, included Leslie in her book Coaching Yourself to Leadership, as part of a chapter on the importance of developing relationships. Leslie recently completed the UMass Medical School Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program. She received a masters degree in educational administration from Harvard University. She also has a BA in human development from the University of California, Davis.
GETTING IN SYNC WITH YOURSELF
Balancing your life begins with figuring out how you spend your time, and about aligning your decisions with what you believe is really important. This workshop will help you identify areas in your life that are out of balance and name the top values that should guide the decisions you make about how to spend your time and money. You will also learn and practice several stress-reduction tools that you can put into practice immediately. Be prepared to leave with one thing you can actually do to achieve better balance in your life.
Leslie M. Ackles, M.Ed. (See biography above.)
STAYING IN THE GAME
You may not be able to have it all, but you can come pretty close. In this workshop, two veteran CEOs with over 45 years of combined experience on the job will lead an engaging discussion about how longevity in the field shapes both the leader and the world around her.
Kelly Cronin has been the executive director of Waterbury Youth Service System, Inc. in Waterbury, Conn., for 17 years and has been with WYSS for 25 years. Throughout the course of her employment, Kelly has provided direct service and advocacy for children, youth and families with all of the local systems of care and state agencies. As a wife and mother of five, she has managed to maintain a balance between her work and personal life, even adding work in a family-run business, Farm on Wheels, which offers people, including youth at WYSS, the opportunity to interact with farm animals.
Shari Shapiro is the executive director of Kids in Crisis, a 24-hour crisis intervention and emergency shelter program in Connecticut for infants, children and teens. She has been with Kids in Crisis since 1980 and has seen many changes both in the needs of children and families and in the services available to them. Shari has a BA in Sociology from Ithaca College and an MBA from the University of New Haven. She is the recipient of several state and regional awards for excellence in nonprofit and volunteer management, and has been involved with many local, state, and regional organizations working towards improving of the lives of children, youth and families.
THE ART OF ASKING APPRECIATIVE QUESTIONS
Learn how to engage in staff supervision/coaching, team planning, mission statement development, conflict resolution, and/or organizational redesign using Appreciative Inquiry questions and "good news stories." This approach builds on a theory of change that focuses on strengths and solutions rather than on problems. How do you frame and apply Appreciative Inquiry questions? Join us in this stimulating workshop to find out.
Nancy Jackson has extensive experience in non-profit capacity-building, including agency assessment, planning, program design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as training and conference planning. She practices Appreciative Inquiry with her consulting clients for strategic planning, executive transitions, and staff retreats/team building. She owns Gammy Bird Consulting and works throughout New England.
DAY 2 PM
THE INTERGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE: FRIEND & FOE
Change is coming. We've heard it described in a flood of recent articles and studies describing the work and life values of the five generations still active in the economy: the "greatest" generation, the "silent" generation, the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. The last three are currently in the workforce in large numbers, with the Baby Boomers set to begin retiring soon.
Participate in this discussion about the issues we encounter daily due to the values and motivations of each generation. Identify characteristics that frame our interactions and explore ways we can learn from each. Bring your stories, both the struggles and the inspirations.
Judi Kirk is
Director of Health Promotion Services at
YWCA of Central Massachusetts. She has also worked as associate director of Girls Inc. of Worcester, as manager of outdoor programs for the Girls Scouts and manager of special programs at Girls Inc. of Delaware. She is the founding president of Safe Homes of Central Massachusetts, which provides services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, and an executive committee member of Partnership for a Heart Healthy Stroke Free Massachusetts. She was recently featured in an NEN Roundtable article on generational differences.
CLIMBING THE LADDER IN HIGH HEELS: TOOLS AND TIPS FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS
In this workshop, Lindsay Hyde talks about how she founded and led her own nonprofit, Strong Women, Strong Girls, Inc., at age 22, learning on the job some of the key requirements of effective social sector leadership. How did she do it at such a young age? Come learn strategies for success that every young women leader should know, and develop your own "road map" to take back to your workplace. A fast-paced, high-energy workshop, this session is ideal for young women who are just starting out, who have just landed their first leadership roles, or for those in need of a shot of motivation to move to the next level. Session requirements: Creativity, thinking caps.
Lindsay Hyde is the founder and executive director of Strong Women, Strong Girls, a not-for-profit organization that fosters high aspirations among low-income girls in grades 3-5 and helps them to develop the skills they need for life-long success. Lindsay founded Strong Women, Strong Girls at age 18, while a freshman at Harvard University. Upon her graduation, Lindsay launched Strong Women, Strong Girls as an independent not for profit agency. Strong Women, Strong Girls now has offices in Boston and Pittsburgh and annually engages over 400 girls in programming.
LEADING IN TIMES OF CHANGE
This lively, discussion-based workshop will focus on the challenges of achieving and maintaining exemplary leadership in a climate of change. Do the tasks of leadership take on a different meaning for women? Are there situations that women in particular need to attend to during times of turmoil? Together, we will focus on the key aspects of outstanding leadership and will use participants' examples of their current leadership challenges to generate creative ideas on how to lead during turbulent times.
Stephanie Kilbride received her MSW in 1989 from Simmons College School of Social Work. She has worked as a child-care worker, a clinician, and a program director, all with severely emotionally disturbed children, adolescents and their families. For the past 12 years, she has been an administrator in child welfare and community mental health agencies.
DAY 3 AM
GET OFF THE ESCALATOR: HOW TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS EFFECTIVELY
Resolving conflict is actually joint problem-solving that requires an understanding of other parties' needs and concerns, the ability to ask questions productively, and the capacity to craft solutions that benefit both sides. This interactive workshop will help you build the conflict-resolution and communication skills that you need to enhance relationships and achieve meaningful resolutions to tense situations in the workplace. Participants will learn and practice tools for resolving conflict that can be put to immediate use.
Heather Meeker-Green is the COO at Accordence, an international training and consulting company that works with leading organizations to leverage negotiation as a core competency. Throughout her career, Heather has worked to design and conduct negotiation and conflict resolution trainings for groups in the private and public sector. She has a BA in Hispanic and Russian studies from Connecticut College and an MA in liberal studies from Simmons College.
INVESTING IN LEADERS: IF IT'S NOT INTENTIONAL, IT'S NOT WORKING
Good leaders are hard to find. After all, true leadership involves a complex set of skills and competencies that must be developed over time. Research shows that leadership development is most effective when it includes assessment, challenges, and frank feedback. Find out how one agency is making a strategic investment in the growth of its leaders using 360 assessments. Hear about the lessons they learned along the way.
Mary Imbornone has worked in the field of human services for over 35 years, the past 20 in various leadership roles. As the National Director of Learning & Development for Devereux, she is responsible for identifying and developing creative learning solutions to meet the diverse needs of its 6,000 employees. Through a variety of work experiences, Mary has developed expertise in recruitment and retention, corporate compliance, and leadership development. She commutes between offices in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, but considers New England her home.
Dr. Sarah Ellen Lenahan
is Vice President of both Operations and Organizational Development for Devereux. She began her career at Devereux in 1970 as a volunteer, then special education teacher, supervisor, principal and administrator. Prior to that, she was a biologist with Merck, Sharp & Dohme in West Point, Penn. In 1997, Dr. Lenahan traveled to China and adopted Johanna, now 11. Her titles today include "6th Grade Homework Tutor" and "Soccer Mom."