Leadership NOW Seeks Current, Emerging Leaders for 2018 Cohort

Informational sessions to be held October 3, 4, 6, 11 and 12

(FLINT, Mich., September 25, 2017) – Leadership NOW – a comprehensive, professional development program for individuals who work and/or live in Genesee County – is seeking candidates for its next cohort, which will begin Jan. 26, 2018.

The program, led by the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Genesee County, is designed for business, nonprofit and municipal professionals, and emerging leaders. Since its restructuring two years ago, the program has graduated 25 professionals, with an additional 18 participants in the current cohort.

“This is a great opportunity for professionals who want to hone their leadership skills, build relationships and transform their community through collaboration,” said Michelle Hill, Director of Core Initiatives and Shared Services at the Flint & Genesee Chamber.

During Leadership NOW, participants undergo in-depth leadership assessments, 10 hours of one-on-one executive coaching and 100+ hours of training. The program has been likened to a masters-level course, and equips participants to make positive change in their community and workplace.

Claudnyse Jenkins, a graduate of the 2016 cohort, credits the program for transforming her leadership style and preparing her to make several improvements at the Weiss Child Advocacy Center, where she serves as the Executive Director.

For example, by sharing lawn and snow removal services with neighboring organizations and office space with another local nonprofit, the advocacy center has reduced its expenses and increased its efficiency.

“Leadership NOW shifts your mindset from focusing on the individual to focusing on the team and the community,” Jenkins said. “We can accomplish so much more by working together than we can alone.”

According to Jenni Dones, the program places special attention on how to develop, initiate and sustain collaborative community projects. Participants are required to develop and implement a collaborative project with a focus on organizational or community enhancement.

One cohort, for instance, partnered with the Brownell-Holmes Neighborhood Association to create an outdoor gathering space and neighborhood book exchange at Janice and Oxley streets in Flint.

“The team members took everything they learned over the course of the program and put those skills into practice,” Dones said. “It was a great example of bringing about change through informed leadership.”

Before applying to participate in the program, individuals are required to attend one of the following information sessions, to be held at the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, at 111 E. Court St., Flint.

Applications will be distributed during the information sessions and are due by Oct. 26.

Leadership NOW is made possible with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Ruth Mott Foundation.

For more information, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/leadership-now.