Institute for Civic Leadership

Dr. Wendy Wolf to headline ICL's

April leadership breakfast

Her talk is titled, "Critical Condition:

Can Leadership Save Health Care Reform?"

It has been touted as the best health care system in the world, but in reality, the United States spends far more on health care than any other industrialized nation yet has less to show for it. As Washington tackles a triage of the system, Americans are getting sick of the partisan political posturing that has left us further away from sensible discussion and meaningful reform. For more information about this breakfast or to register, please click here.

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Having "Real Conversations in the Board Room" to be focus of ICL workshop

This Board Builder will be held in Lewiston on March 10

Are your board meetings like polite conversations, rather than the direct and productive discussions about difficult issues that are needed? In today's unstable economic times, nonprofit board members must be prepared to create an environment for honest conversation - even when the conversation may be difficult. For more information or to register for this workshop, taught by ICL's Director of Training Laura Moorehead and Associate Director Suzanne Austin, please click here.

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ICL publishes January edition of

The Leader's Window

ICL is inviting those interested in learning the latest leadership news in Maine to take a peek through the latest issue of The Leader's Window, the organization's e-newsletter. Much like a window, the purpose of the bimonthly newsletter is to create openings for perspectives and points of view, to shed light on leadership issues and challenges and to widen our vision. This issue features a letter from director Steve Schuit on the "paint-by-number" craze, updates on our emerging leaders initiative and our annual appeal, an opportunity for southern Maine nonprofits to undergo an in-depth assessment of their viability at no cost, an interview with Wright Express CEO and ICL alum Mike Dubyak, class notes and much more. To read the newsletter, click here.

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ICL makes Annual Appeal

Funds raised support program, training

and event scholarships

ICL launched its Annual Appeal in early December with a call for alumni and other friends of the organization to offer support to the ICL Annual Fund. Funds raised though the appeal go to provide scholarships to leaders who might not otherwise be able to attend a training, program or event. In 2009, ICL offered nearly $60,000 in scholarships to 19 of the 33 participants of the Leadership Intensive, as well as scholarships to 30 of the 300 or so attendees of the annual gathering, to 25 percent of the attendees of our Act II forum and to attendees of our Board Builder workshops.

With so much of the Annual Appeal benefiting scholarships toward the ICL Leadership Intensive, it's not surprising that so much of the support for the fundraising initiative comes from the 500 plus graduates of the ICL Leadership Intensive and the HLD. Nearly 80 percent of Intensive graduates recently surveyed said the nine-month long leadership development program created a better awareness and knowledge of their personal leadership style, with nearly as many saying the program increased their ability to make change happen within their organizations and communities. As part of the appeal campaign, ICL is giving face to those numbers by telling the stories of four alumni, whose experience with ICL and its programming has empowered them to fulfill our mission of moving Maine forward. Read the leadership stories of Christina Bechstein (Pi Class), Kolawole Bankole (Nu Class and HLD II), Steve Hart (Xi Class) and Najim Animashaun (Kappa Class) by clicking on their names.

We also invite you to help ICL continue positive change by supporting this year's annual appeal. Please consider a gift to ICL's Annual Fund, which will allow others to experience and learn needed skills and new ways of leading to move Maine forward. It's easier than ever to give to ICL. Give online by using the Network for Good button below, send a check to ICL at PO Box 422 Portland, ME 04112 or contact Celeste LaBadie at clabadie@civicleadership.org to request a gift envelope today.

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'Unmistakable opportunity' showcased

at ICL LeaderSHIFT

Nearly 300 leaders of all ages attended

ICL's Annual Gathering

Nearly 300 leaders of all ages gathered in late October at the Ocean Gateway Terminal on Portland's picturesque waterfront for ICL's Annual Gathering LeaderSHIFT. Intended to showcase the passion and possibilities of Maine's young emerging leaders, the event offered opportunity for guided cross-generational networking and featured remarks from young leaders in the state who are innovative, entrepreneurial and collaborative including Hannah Pingree, Maine’s Speaker of the House; Will Smith, Associate Dean at Bowdoin College and Co-Director of the Seeds of Peace Camp and Fortunant Mueller, Principal with ReVision Energy.

You can read what the Press Herald had to say about ICL's Annual Gathering LeaderSHIFT here or learn more about this evening and the featured best practices by clicking here.

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ICL expands its Consulting Services

You may know us for our leadership trainings or our many workshops designed to support nonprofit board governance. We would like to introduce you to ICL as a resource for all different types of organizations in:

- strategic and long-range planning

- collaboration and team building

- exploring more formal collaboration between organizations including merger

- skills training for improved organizational effectiveness

- board assessment.

Many consultants are proficient in any one of these areas, but ICL is more. ICL has, on staff, a group of professionals with an extensive breadth of content and process expertise.

Contact Paul Mentag at 773-3254 x108.

We can help your organization, and in the process,

Move Maine Forward.

Here is a sampling of the fine organizations we have helped recently: