"Learning from experts and then sharing and building, and maybe even dreaming a bit, will change systems to better serve our whole community."

Andrew Brower, LGR 2006

Leadership Forum

Leadership Forum is an open-event series designed to stimulate community involvement as well as engage current and emerging leaders in dialog and action.  Timely, relevant presentations are offered through an ongoing schedule of speaking engagements, panel discussions, conferences, workshops, webcasts, site tours and other program formats.  You will gain knowledge of contemporary community issues, challenges, and opportunities, while also being afforded a conduit for connecting with others who share a common sense of responsibility and trusteeship.

Upcoming Events:

Managing Your Way

May 25, 2010
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Prince Conference Center

Have you ever bought an item labeled "One Size Fits Most" or even bolder, "One Size Fits All"? Purchasing items that make these claims can have interesting, and sometimes comical, results.

Often, this concept is carried over into the process of managing people, and can lead to similarly interesting, but rarely funny, results.

What if your managing style doesn't't "fit" all of your employees? Are you stuck?

Join the Center for Community Leadership for an interactive presentation with Edgeline Resources' Dave Vermilye as he explores these questions and more. This session will look at different styles of management and demonstrate some simple adjustments you can make to be a more effective manager.

Participants will leave energized with immediately applicable information, and will also receive an access code for a management styles assessment valued at $80 for no additional cost.

Cost*: Trustee Members $10; Connector Members $20; Non-Members $40

Click here to register by May 23, 2010.

About Dave Vermilye:

Dave Vermilye is best known amongst CCL alumni as the talented facilitator of the Leadership Grand Rapids' Opening and Closing Retreats.

David is the president and CEO of Edgeline Resources. He spent 15 years working with troubled youth in the Grand Rapids area. Dave has been involved in developing programs to teach independent living skills and employment skills. For the last 10 years, Dave has been using his experiential education approach to teach group development and team building in schools, churches, corporations and other community groups in the West Michigan area. He is a visiting professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. Dave focuses on creating an environment of respect where participants can have a safe place for growth to transpire.

*Registration requires you to enter a valid email address and is based on your current membership with CCL. If our database does not currently list a valid email address, you may contact Danielle Vander Lugt to register. Cancellations must be received two days prior to the event to receive a refund.

Recent Events:

Solving for Talent Attraction and Retention in West Michigan Through Creative Collaboration

April 27, 2010
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Rehmann (2330 E. Paris Ave. SE)

Attracting and retaining key talent to our region is a hot topic, and like so many challenges, West Michigan is addressing this issue in a completely innovative way.

Join us to learn about Quaeris, a collaborative initiative made up of employers throughout West Michigan that have joined together to address attraction and retention through member programs and services, and the public website HelloWestMichigan.com.

What are our region's strengths and message? Who are the key players in attraction and retention? What research was done to ensure Quaeris' success? How can community leaders and businesses engage with this new initiative?

Learn the answers to these questions and more at this event presented by Patrick O'Hare (LGR 2000), CIO at Spectrum Health and Quaeris Board Co-Chair.

The Changing Landscape of Education with Mike Flanagan

March 10, 2010
1:30 - 2:30 PM
GVSU Center for Health Sciences

Leaders are hyper-aware of the crucial role that education plays in our community's success, especially as our economy shifts to more knowledge-based industries. What needs to be done at the K-12 level to keep our students competitive in the workforce? What is happening at the state level that affects the success of students in Grand Rapids?

Join the Center for Community Leadership for a presentation by our State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Michael P. Flanagan, as he explores the challenges the state of Michigan faces in offering quality K-12 education for all of our students, what is being done to keep our students competitive, and what we as community leaders can do to engage in the success of our educational system.

Inspiring Others with Nancy Skinner

February 19, 2010
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Varnum, 17th Floor

Join Varnum Consulting's Nancy Skinner in learning how to understand the importance of motivation and inspiration to lead change; identify the five key steps of motivation and three ways to create a motivating environment; use a proven method for creating a reputation for providing positive recognition; and make a plan for your immediate and practical application of the principals.

A Collaborating Community: How to Get Things Done in Grand Rapids

November 13, 2009
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Grand Rapids Community Foundation

Grand Rapids has earned the reputation of being a community where things get done through collaboration. Our sense of community spirit has lead to a number of accomplishments that have set us apart from other cities our size. Join Diana Sieger, President of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation; Steve Heacock, Chief Administrative Officer of the Van Andel Institute; Matthew VanZetten, Management Analyst at the Kent County Family and Children's Coordinating Council; and Janay Brower, Executive Director of the Coalition to End Homelessness for a discussion on how collaboration has made Grand Rapids the city it is today, and the role community trustees can play in future collaborations.

Becoming a Better Leader: Does What's Invisible Stop You Short?

October 29, 2009
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
GVSU Bicycle Factory

Barbara Rapaport, President of Real-time Perspectives, Inc., a consulting practice focused on organizational effectiveness, shared a model of adult development that offers insights as to why some leaders are more ready than others to let go in support of innovative ideas and unleashing the potential that resides within their organization's human resources.

Amway 50th Anniversary Event

September 17, 2009
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Amway World Headquarters and Welcome Center

Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel and President Doug DeVos and Amway Co-Founder Rich DeVos hosted a 50th Anniversary Community Event at the newly renovated Amway World Headquarters and Welcome Center.  Invited guests included the Center for Community Leadership, The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Economics Club of Grand Rapids and the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.

Maximize Your Online Marketing

May 27, 2009
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Prince Conference Center
1800 East Beltline SE

Social networking is all the rage - but do you know how to market yourself, and your business, effectively online? When used correctly, these easy and inexpensive tools can set you apart from your competition.

Kim Bode, Principal of 834 Design, lead an interactive discussion on how to maximize your online marketing efforts by reviewing the many tools available, their benefits and pitfalls, and examples of people and companies that are utilizing social networking well.

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure

April 28, 2009
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Celebration Cinema
Free to attend, but guests must RSVP

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure is a giant-screen film that tells the extraordinary true story of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's now-legendary 1914-1916 British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. This expedition has become a larger-than-life testament to heroism and human endurance. Shackleton earned the respect of his men, not to mention the respect of millions today, by being a leader who put his men's well-being, both mental and physical, above all else.

Board Skills for the Nonprofit Sector

April 24, 2009
7:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Community trustees serving on nonprofit boards in our community often face challenges differing from those encountered in their daily professions.

Make the most of your position by joining us to examine the role of the nonprofit sector and its interaction with the public and private sectors, the economic impact of the nonprofit sector and the implications for board members, and how the bottom line of nonprofits differs from that of for-profit organizations. 

Center for Michigan Community Conversation

April 2, 2009
7:30 AM - 10:00 AM

The Michigan's Defining Moment Public Engagement Campaign is a multi-year effort to heighten public awareness of the significant challenges and opportunities Michigan faces and tighten the focus of statewide leaders on a common ground agenda best suited to help Michigan achieve a new era of sustainable prosperity.

This event will offer an easy-yet-in-depth way for participants to understand the challenges facing Michigan and voice their opinions on how best to move the state forward.

West Michigan Policy Conference Presentation

In September 2008, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce presented an unprecedented regional conference in collaboration with the West Michigan Chamber Coalition (WMCC). The inaugural Conference brought some 600 business and civic leaders, legislators and local officials to Grand Rapids to unite the West Michigan business community around a regional business agenda.

Attendees of this Forum learned what a role a community trustee can play in these efforts.

Path of a Leader Workshop

Presented by Pondera Advisors, the Path of a Leader workshop is a leadership development opportunity that took participants along the six steps on the Path of a Leader, from summoning the courage to honestly look at yourself, to creating a vision for your team, and embarking on action that fulfills that vision.

Grand Rapids Community Foundation Presentation & Tour

The Grand Rapids Community Foundation leads the community in making positive, sustainable change.  Tour its new home located in the downtown historic "Icehouse" building while learning how its new facility is supporting the growth of GRCF's many community initiatives.

Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion Presentation & Tour

The 284,000 square foot, six story Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion facility opened in June 2008 with a goal to become a regional resource for cancer expertise. 

Guests of this event gained an insiders perspective on the state-of-the-art components necessary to be a destination for cancer care, the community's influence on the building's design and function, and examples of patient care.

Center for Michigan

Michigan's ongoing budget crisis, continuing economic challenges and deficit of effective leadership in Lansing present profound issues everyone must confront.

Guests of this Leadership Forum learned about the Center for Michigan and its agenda for Michigan's transformation to a new era of prosperity through the Center's President Phil Power and former Speaker of the House and Senior Vice President of DTE Energy Paul Hillegonds. They presented the center's report, "Michigan's Defining Moment" and its 36 measures of Michigan's competitive standing found in The 2008 Michigan Scorecard: Benchmarks for Michigan's Transformation.

The JW Marriott Sister Cities Project

Photographer Dan Watts spent over one year planning and traveling to Omihachiman, Japan; Perugia, Italy; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; the Ga District of Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico in what proved to be the most difficult and demanding trip of this lifetime.

The results of his travels are 16,855 photographs of Grand Rapids' Sister Cities that now decorate the 330 guest rooms, corridors, and a one-man photo gallery in the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids.

On May 21, Susan Camp, the President of Grand Rapids Sister Cities International, George Aquino, the General Manager of the JW Marriott, and Dan Watts explored our community's Sister Cities during a presentation at the JW Marriott Hotel.

Generational Differences with Chuck Underwood

On February 25, 2008, Chuck Underwood, the founder and president of The Generational Imperative, Inc., a research-driven generational business consultancy, explored the influence of generational values and attitudes on Americans' consumer, career and lifestyle decisions.

Chuck Underwood's presentation is available here.

JW Marriott Presentation and Tour

The Center for Community Leadership presented a tour and presentation at the JW Marriott Hotel on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 7:30 AM. George Aquino, the JW Marriott's general manager, and Steve Wilson, president of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau, discussed the impact of the new hotel on our community and its overall effect on Grand Rapids's convention and hospitality industry.

Grand Rapids Art Museum Presentation and Tour

On October 16, the Center for Community Leadership spent an evening to celebrate the re-opening of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified art museum in the world. Guests learned what makes this facility so special and why it will have a systemic impact on the Grand Rapids arts scene and complement the revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids.

Generously Underwritten By: