June ELC Highlights Coalitions and a Look to the Future
“With the right organization, groups are remarkably intelligent, often smarter than the smartest individual in them.” -James Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds
On June 14-15, Association Executive Directors, Board members, faculty, and Extension Administration staff in attendance at the June 2017 Executive Leadership Conference (ELC) joined together to learn and network. They explored shared organizational goals through the lens of our strategic planning process, examined leadership skills through StrengthsFinders and gleaned lessons from the democratic, balanced decision-making process of bees.
Conference attendees were updated on 4-H statewide initiatives, funding and investment opportunities at the 4-H Foundation, and the statewide Agriculture in the Classroom program. Breakout sessions relevant to board development were designed to support both Executive Directors and boards in creating effective Associations as well as internal and external partnerships.
Keynote speaker Dr. Thomas Seeley’s extensive research on the democracy of bees dovetailed with the conference theme of Clever Coalitions. The keynote and the conference theme highlight CCE’s interdependence and underscores the need for us to align our efforts through a shared vision of the future. Our hope is to build a series of linked learning, sharing networking experiences to promote the goal of strong, vibrant local Associations.
Save the Date! The next ELC will be held in Ithaca on October 11-12, 2017.