MAHONING VALLEY Leadership group adds program

The new program is geared more toward academic leadership education.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A new program, staffer and office are coming together to expand the role of Leadership Mahoning Valley.
The main feature is a new initiative called Leadership, Education and Development, or LEAD. The program is aimed at developing leadership skills.
The yearlong training program for 20 people will have a bent toward academic leadership education. Topics will include building skills such as negotiating, group dynamics, teamwork and ethics.
LEAD joins the organization's core program, Community Leadership Training. That program is aimed at identifying, educating and motivating area leaders to act. More than 800 area leaders have graduated from the program since 1985.
Deeper focus: The original program is geared more toward leadership in community organizations. LEAD will help participants at work and in their community life, said Susan Moorer, executive director of Leadership Mahoning Valley.
"It's much more in depth," she said.
LEAD fills a void left by downsizing in industry, Moorer said.
A selection committee will pick the participants. Candidates can be past graduates or those new to Leadership Mahoning Valley. The program starts in January.
The organization has spent two years developing the LEAD program, with research and analysis done by local and national experts. Youngstown State University, Kent State University Trumbull Campus and the University of Akron have been involved developing the curriculum. So have 150 local, private-sector volunteers.
The organization doesn't know of another leadership program offering such diverse elements of training and development, Moorer said.
What else is new: A new full-time associate director will be hired to manage the program. The organization is taking applications now.
Leadership Mahoning Valley also recently consolidated its operations into an office suite in Bank One's downtown Youngstown building.
The organization had been running its original program from Warren and developing the LEAD project out of Youngstown. The new office gives the organization much more room to operate more efficiently, Moorer said.
rgsmith@vindy.com