Illinois Valley News

A cross-section of community members soon will participate in a program aimed at helping them develop the leadership skills to guide regional decision making the future.

Based in Roseburg, the Ford Family Foundation“s Leadership Institute is starting its first session in the Illinois Valley on Friday, Aug. 27 and 28 at the Kerby Belt Building.

According to Donna Chickering with Rural Development Initiatives Inc. (RDI) who will serve as the class“s lead trainer, the foundation was formed in 1957 by Kenneth & Hallie Ford. They owned Roseburg Lumber, but there now is no affiliation between the company and the foundation.

“The whole idea with the foundation was to give back to the communities that helped Kenneth and Hallie Ford make their start,“ Chickering said.

Since the leadership institute began in 2003, it has worked in more than 50 communities with populations of less than 30,000. The program initially served timber communities in Douglas and Coos counties and Siskiyou County in California, but has since expanded to cover all of Oregon.

Chickering said that some eight communities begin participation in the five-year leadership institute program each year. Past participants in the program have included Ashland and Lakeview, which has gone on to do many projects on its own, Chickering said.

“Some of the communities that have gone through the five-year program are still highly engaged, doing projects and wanting more direction but still really self-sufficient,“ Chickering said. “Some communities, for whatever reason, have not been able to maintain active participation for all five years.“

Other communities set to start the program along with the Illinois Valley this year are Dallas, Silverton and Wheeler County.

Chickering said that the first year of the program consists of leadership development among the first cohort of participants. The second year focuses on effective organization training, she said, which is followed in the third year by a second cohort of leadership development. In the fourth year, the group focuses on community collaborations and a third cohort is assembled in the fifth year, Chickering said.

Partnering with the foundation to make the institute possible is Rural Development Initiatives Inc., a nationally recognized non-profit based in Eugene.

Several persons in the Illinois Valley knew about the Ford Leadership Institute and have been “proactive“ in trying to bring it to the community, Chickering said. She added that the institute selects communities that are ready to move forward.

“They“re pretty aware if the community is ready for it or not,“ Chickering said. “Ford will not come to communities with bickering going on or in-fighting. They don“t come in to solve problems or fix the community, but will come into a community that is ready to help itself.“

Participants are selected through a “snowball approach,“ Chickering said. Organizers identify prominent persons in the community, who then meet in person to discuss the program and create a list of people who could benefit from being involved.

During the first session, participants will be introduced to the program, curriculum and other participants, Chickering said. A second session is set for late September, with a third slated for early November and a fourth in early January.

Overall, the program involves 48 hours of class time and participation in a two-day Conference of Communities in early December in Eugene. Follow-ups are set for April and July, with graduation set for late August 2011.

The classes are presented in an interactive format, Chickering said, and include project management components.

“Sometimes, it opens up a whole new world for individuals who have not been exposed to ideas about leadership,“ Chickering said. “Sometimes, it really helps people who have already been in leadership positions and gives them a chance to mentor new leaders, pass on that torch and share the information that they know.“

Although the application process for the program has closed, organizers still are looking for high school students ages 14 and up to become involved.

For more information, phone 541-441-6680, e-mail dchickering@rdiinc.org or visit tfff.org.

Editor“s Note: Illinois Valley News staff members Michelle Binker and Scott Jorgensen are Ford Leadership Institute participants.

We want to hear from you!
Add your thoughts with the link below.

Comments returning soon!

Back to top of story