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Let me answer the first question with two questions. What is the NCCLI? And, who are the challenged alumni?
The Nevada County Community Leadership Institute was founded in 1996 to develop emerging leaders in Nevada County. According to their Web page, the “NCCLI is a special series of one-day classes that look into a variety of issues, topics and institutions that impact Nevada County.”
The Leadership Institute brings together business people, government officials and community members who seek a role in the future of Nevada County, according to the Web site.
The NCCLI was initially sponsored by the Sierra College-Nevada County Campus, United Way of Nevada County, the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada County Business Association.
For the last two years, the principle sponsor has been the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, according to Mary Ann Muller, president and CEO of the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce.
In its 13-year history, the NCCLI has graduated supervisors, county executives, business leaders and even a newspaper editor. Former Supervisor Peter Van Zant graduated from the first NCCLI class in 1996. Other supervisor graduates include former county Supervisor Karen Knecht, and current Supervisor Nate Beason. Former Grass Valley Vice Mayor Patti Ingram, and Steve Enos, a former member of the Grass
Valley City Council, are also graduates.
Other graduates include city managers, bankers, lawyers, managers of nonprofit organizations and business leaders, including John Paul and Chip Carman of Spiral Studio, who created the organization's Web site at www.nccli.com.
I had lunch with Richard Somerville, a former editor of The Union, when he first came to Grass Valley. He said one of his first challenges was to learn about the community.
I recommended he consider attending the Leadership Institute as one of the fastest ways to get acquainted with the community and its leaders, and become familiar with local politics. He took my advice and became a graduate.
Over the years there were several attempts to form an NCCLI Alumni Association. The initial efforts in late 1990 failed to happen. However, another effort was made in 2003 to create an alumni association that exists today, though it has not made a robust mark on the community.
The NCCLI Web site has some history and background on the current alumni organization, which is led by Susan Rice. According to Rice, the main function of the association is social and educational.
They try to have one social event after the graduation of each class, so the graduating class can get to know some of the past graduates and learn about the alumni association. They also try to have one educational event, which is a lecture or business tour, according to Rice.
I worked on the NCCLI formation committee, monitored classes, and helped Larry Burkhardt, the former Economic Resource Council president, put together some classes on economic development. I also made a presentation to one class on the emerging role of the Internet as a tool for change.
Monitoring classes, I was impressed with the facilitator's skills at getting so many people from diverse backgrounds, political philosophy, and interests to exchange ideas and learn from each other. It occurred to me that this interaction and collegial relationship building could become a powerful source of cross-sector community action.
In my vision, the alumni association could become a powerful force for change by examining complex issues and guiding the community toward resolution without exciting the kind of tribal warfare we all experienced during the NH2020 fiasco.
Given their leadership training, depth of experience, skill sets, and demonstrated ability to work together, I had hoped the NCCLI Alumni Association could emerge as a stronger leadership force in the community. Some individual classes took on individual projects, like the Suicide Center and a “shop local” effort, but as a whole the alumni association has not stepped up to the cross-sector leadership challenge.
According to Rice, the leadership alumni members will be attending a cross-sector partnership and collaboration workshop in November, sponsored by the Center for Nonprofit Leadership of the Sierra. Perhaps they will find a worthy challenge that will bring the NCCLI alumni to the forefront of community leadership. After 13 years of training, it is time for the NCCLI alumni to step up and take the lead.
The NCCLI is recruiting for next year's class, contact Mary Ann Mueller at 273-1479. For alumni wishing to reconnect, contact Susan Rice at 265-2304.
The Nevada County Community Leadership Institute was founded in 1996 to develop emerging leaders in Nevada County. According to their Web page, the “NCCLI is a special series of one-day classes that look into a variety of issues, topics and institutions that impact Nevada County.”
The Leadership Institute brings together business people, government officials and community members who seek a role in the future of Nevada County, according to the Web site.
The NCCLI was initially sponsored by the Sierra College-Nevada County Campus, United Way of Nevada County, the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada County Business Association.
For the last two years, the principle sponsor has been the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, according to Mary Ann Muller, president and CEO of the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce.
In its 13-year history, the NCCLI has graduated supervisors, county executives, business leaders and even a newspaper editor. Former Supervisor Peter Van Zant graduated from the first NCCLI class in 1996. Other supervisor graduates include former county Supervisor Karen Knecht, and current Supervisor Nate Beason. Former Grass Valley Vice Mayor Patti Ingram, and Steve Enos, a former member of the Grass
Valley City Council, are also graduates.
Other graduates include city managers, bankers, lawyers, managers of nonprofit organizations and business leaders, including John Paul and Chip Carman of Spiral Studio, who created the organization's Web site at www.nccli.com.
I had lunch with Richard Somerville, a former editor of The Union, when he first came to Grass Valley. He said one of his first challenges was to learn about the community.
I recommended he consider attending the Leadership Institute as one of the fastest ways to get acquainted with the community and its leaders, and become familiar with local politics. He took my advice and became a graduate.
Over the years there were several attempts to form an NCCLI Alumni Association. The initial efforts in late 1990 failed to happen. However, another effort was made in 2003 to create an alumni association that exists today, though it has not made a robust mark on the community.
The NCCLI Web site has some history and background on the current alumni organization, which is led by Susan Rice. According to Rice, the main function of the association is social and educational.
They try to have one social event after the graduation of each class, so the graduating class can get to know some of the past graduates and learn about the alumni association. They also try to have one educational event, which is a lecture or business tour, according to Rice.
I worked on the NCCLI formation committee, monitored classes, and helped Larry Burkhardt, the former Economic Resource Council president, put together some classes on economic development. I also made a presentation to one class on the emerging role of the Internet as a tool for change.
Monitoring classes, I was impressed with the facilitator's skills at getting so many people from diverse backgrounds, political philosophy, and interests to exchange ideas and learn from each other. It occurred to me that this interaction and collegial relationship building could become a powerful source of cross-sector community action.
In my vision, the alumni association could become a powerful force for change by examining complex issues and guiding the community toward resolution without exciting the kind of tribal warfare we all experienced during the NH2020 fiasco.
Given their leadership training, depth of experience, skill sets, and demonstrated ability to work together, I had hoped the NCCLI Alumni Association could emerge as a stronger leadership force in the community. Some individual classes took on individual projects, like the Suicide Center and a “shop local” effort, but as a whole the alumni association has not stepped up to the cross-sector leadership challenge.
According to Rice, the leadership alumni members will be attending a cross-sector partnership and collaboration workshop in November, sponsored by the Center for Nonprofit Leadership of the Sierra. Perhaps they will find a worthy challenge that will bring the NCCLI alumni to the forefront of community leadership. After 13 years of training, it is time for the NCCLI alumni to step up and take the lead.
The NCCLI is recruiting for next year's class, contact Mary Ann Mueller at 273-1479. For alumni wishing to reconnect, contact Susan Rice at 265-2304.
Russ Steele is a freelance writer who blogs at NC Media Watch (ncwatch.typepad.com). He is writing a book on economic development in Nevada County from 1950 to 2000.
