Community Corner

Institute Teaches Leadership Skills That Are Used To Boost City

The Saline Leadership Institute is enrolling people in its class of 2011.

Are you interested in growing personally and professionally, establishing connections that can lead to more growth, and developing a vision for a sustainable Saline?

If so, then you're a candidate for the 2011 Saline Leadership Institute.

Since 1998, the Saline Leadership Institute has offered an annual program designed to develop leadership skills that often put to good use in volunteer and civic organizations. Founded by current Mayor Gretchen Driskell, Bill Lavery and Dan Stotz, the idea was to develop a network of people that would help Saline grow and mature.

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Over the years, more than 300 people have graduated from the program.

, a member of the group’s planning team, said the institute is now enrolling people for 2011 classes.

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“This group of people has influenced the community in more ways than I know, I’m sure. For one, each person gets to know 25 people quite well over the course of their year together, so when they need help, or advice on a community issue, or just meeting each other on the streets, there is a connection that is made, like two old friends meeting each other again,” Niethammer said.

The 10-month program begins April 28-29 with a retreat at Michindoh, in Hillsdale. The group will carpool from Saline at 9 a.m., arrive in Hillsdale an hour later and begin the program after checking in to the hotel. The program goes into the night and resumes after breakfast on the second day, concluding at 3 p.m. Following the retreat, there are weekly sessions on the third Thursday of every month from May until January of 2012.

Niethammer attended the first class in 1998 and now serves on the institute’s planning team. She said much of the material is based on the book The Art of the Fifth Discipline, authored by Peter Senge in 1985 (Niethammer points out the book is available at the library).

“Learning the five disciplines (as articulated in Senge’s work), I’ve learned to view the world differently.  For example, in Personal Mastery (the first discipline) you learn who you are, what your values are, and what your life means to you. In Mental Models (the second discipline) you learn how many assumptions you make about people, places, ideas, etc. etc.”

The institute’s website contains many testimonials from graduates. 2010 grad Ann Balazs is the marketing department head at the Eastern Michigan University College of Business.

“I am a relative newcomer to Saline and hoped the Leadership Institute would help me find ways to contribute to the community and meet people. It did that and more. I looked forward to each session and felt a genuine warmth from the group. We each grew professionally and committed to making Saline a better place in the future. SLI was, without a doubt, one of the best gifts I have ever given myself," she said.

The long list of alumni includes every member of Saline City Council and administrators, including the city manager Todd Campbell, DPW director Jeff Fordice, and police chief Paul Bunten. Other graduates include Saline Area Schools superintendent Scot Graden and assistant superintendent Steve Laatsch.

For more information, visit the website. Applications can be printed and turned into the library, located at 555 N. Maple Rd. Completed applications must be submitted by March 26.

Cost of the program is $495.


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