Foundation's Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence welcomes 13 Fellows
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| The 2011 Fellows get acquainted at an opening overnight retreat. |
The Rhode Island Foundation and the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence (INE) have announced 13 new Fellows for 2011. More than 120 nonprofit leaders have participated in the signature leadership development program since 2000. The 2011 class is the first to participate in the newly revamped program which will last 18 months, providing a longer period for reflection and leadership development. Fellows design their sabbaticals in consultation with INE staff and receive a stipend of up to $10,000 for their proposed projects. Their respective nonprofits also receive $5,000 grants to compensate for the executive directors’ time away.
The Fellows program is one of a suite of programs offered by the INE, which works to build the capacity of nonprofits so they can better achieve their missions. The Fellows program encourages executive directors, through a year of professional exploration and interaction with their peers, to bring back to their organizations new approaches to accomplishing their core missions.
“Fellows are able to gain new perspective, take time away from day to day operational responsibilities, and return to their organizations with new energy and focus. The 2011 class reflects the energy, creativity, and innovation we see every day in the nonprofit sector and we look forward to working with the new fellows,” said INE Director Jill Pfitzenmayer, Ph.D.
2011 Fellows are:
- Mario Bueno, Progreso Latino
Mario will attend a financial management course at Rhode Island College and will meet with leaders of organizations similar to Progreso Latino in other states. He will research the success of school parent engagement initiatives in other cities and will also explore the success of adult dual language and early childhood development programs. Mario is a resident of Providence.
- Marcia Coné, Women's Fund of Rhode Island
Marcia will work with a coach for 18 months using the Immunity to Change model. She will also work with 3-5 CEOs to explore business models as well as meet with women leaders across the country to receive mentoring. She will also attend the Girls Rock Rhode Island Camp. Marcia is a resident of East Greenwich.
- Sheila Dormody, Clean Water Fund
Sheila will explore the creation of an action center to provide office space, shared meeting rooms and equipment, and an environment that helps to strengthen the environmental and progressive movements in Rhode Island. She will also attend a leadership excellence program and study at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Sheila is a resident of Providence.
- Michael Gennaro, Trinity Repertory Company
Michael will attend the Galway Arts Festival in Ireland to explore unorthodox organizational models for arts organizations. He will also take a mountaineering course as well as go on a trek and backpacking trip to challenge himself to solve problems in a physical context. Michael is a resident of Providence.
- Rebekah Greenwald, RiverzEdge Arts Project
Rebekah will explore three cities focused on urban design to deepen her understanding of engaging people in reimagining the places they live. She will travel to and explore Copenhagen, Berlin, and Chicago. With the help of friends and colleagues in the film production world, she will make a film about the experience. Rebekah is a resident of Providence.
- Teny Gross, Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence
Teny will explore three metropolitan areas and attend a silent retreat to experience a very pre-modern way of reflecting. He will take a wilderness leadership course, covered by an outside scholarship valued at $5,000. He will also shadow a CEO of a for-profit company in order to view leadership style, and work related culture. Teny is a resident of Providence.
- Meghan Hughes, Year Up
Meghan will attend a yoga and meditation retreat and later a music camp to learn guitar in the Texas Hill Country. She will also shadow CVS/Caremark CEO, Tom Ryan, to observe his leadership style of "thinking outside the box" and focusing on human capital. She will also attend an executive leadership training at the Tuck School (cost underwritten by Hasbro) with Vijay Govindarajan and other regarded leaders. Meghan is a resident of Providence.
- Mary Madden, J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center
Mary will explore the concept of shared leadership and attend a retreat at Kripalu Retreat Center to practice meditation and yoga. She will participate in a sculptural weaving program and explore creativity in the workplace by taking a course originated by Michael Ray from the Stanford School of Business, entitled "Creativity in Business.” Mary is a resident of Narragansett.
- James Nyberg, LeadingAge RI
Jim will conduct domestic and international site visits to places that have interesting and relatively successful models of balanced long- term care systems. He will also participate in a professional executive leadership program where he will learn techniques in building sustainable relationships, communicating effectively, increasing the motivation of others, and other skills. James is a resident of Westerly.
- Adeola Oredola, Youth in Action
Adeola will focus on relationship-building by traveling to New York, Chicago, and Oakland to learn best practices around youth engagement and organizing. She will also take a class to study Yoruba--her father's native language and the language of many of the families Youth in Action serves--and then travel to Nigeria to immerse herself in the language and culture. Adeola is a resident of Providence.
- Kathleen Pletcher, FirstWorks
Kathleen will travel to Brazil to observe innovative arts practices in Afro-Brazilian ballet, sculpture, and other types of music and dance. She will travel to France and England to engage in various performance arts festivals. She will also attend a creative thought retreat with other arts leaders. She will explore international collaborations and the potential to increase national funding for Providence. Kathleen is a resident of Cranston.
- Yvonne Seggerman, Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater
Yvonne will attend the Greenbuild conference as well as Harvard Kennedy School’s: Creating Collaborative Solutions. She will also study tango in Argentina in order to refresh and see the arts world in a new light, as a practitioner again. Yvonne is a resident of Cumberland.
- Barbara Wong, Providence City Arts
Barbara will attend the Habla Forum in Merida, Mexico, the Center/ Arts Integration Conference in Washington DC, and a Conference for Community Arts Education. She will visit two community youth arts programs that are models for excellence. She will interview creative women who are nonprofit arts leaders. She will also participate in a summer arts/cultural retreat to reflect on family/cultural traditions, as well as engage in a coach to develop a holistic plan for exercise, nutrition, and time management. Barbara is a resident of Providence.