This year's Community Leadership class is largest ever.
This year’s Community Leadership class is the largest ever and, if the first weekend is any indication, it is going to be a very special year.
Thirty-four leaders representing 22 resident-owned communities (ROCs) in New Hampshire came together October 3 to kick off the six-month-long training. They spent the day getting to know each other and discovering the similarities among ROCs. They also explored the concept of leadership and started to identify leader skills and qualities in themselves, along with some they might like to develop.
Community leaders come in all shapes and sizes, and from diverse backgrounds. All come to this training with one thing in common: They want to know how to be more-effective leaders in their communities.
This year’s class is no exception. People from Bethlehem to Barrington and Groveton to Goffstown shared their thoughts and created definitions of leadership. Their insightful and thought-provoking definitions included: “Leadership is the ability to positively move people to take action,” and “Leadership is learning how to guide people to make change and growth through good communication and actions.”
Bridge Building is always a fun teambuilding activity. The class is divided into small teams, each of which gets eight sheets of flipchart paper, four paper plates, and two cups. The goal is to build a freestanding bridge, and have everyone on every team participating in design and construction.
The test comes at the end, when each team tries to roll a tennis ball across their span. Again this year we saw that enthusiastic leadership doesn’t always translate into good engineering, but all bridges passed the test, with some very creative designs!
The class members agreed that the biggest challenges facing ROCs are member apathy and lack of member involvement, which is consistent with the last several leadership classes, and a trend that has the ROC-NH team committed to working to improve.
The hopes and expectations of this year’s class included “develop stronger people skills,” “develop strong leadership & communication skills,” and “learn how to be a better board member.” Each of those fit nicely with Community Leadership’s training goals:
- Strengthen leadership and communication skills;
- Learn the basics of manufactured-home community management;
- Understand the basic principles and practices of community building;
- Understand how to identify and tap into the skills and talents of members in your communities;
- Learn to navigate the challenges and conflicts that arise in communities;
- Understand how to effectively assess, plan and develop action plans;
- Develop a network of leaders for ongoing peer-to-peer support and learning.
Over 150 ROC members have been trained through Community Leadership 0ver the last 10 years. With the largest class ever, we are excited about sending more trained community leaders out to continue the important work of effectively governing and managing ROCs in New Hampshire.
If you are a Community Leadership alum, please mark your calendars for our 10-year graduation party on April 15, 2016!
Now, I'm please to present the Community leadership class of 2015-16:
- Roberta Elliott, Anne Garceau and Patricia Wilson, Barrington Oaks Cooperative.
- Sandra McBey, Brookview Cooperative.
- David Gademan and Patricia Girouard, Camp Sargent Road Cooperative.
- Maureen Valentine, Crossings at Sleepy Hollow.
- Gina Marie Humes, Emerald Acres Cooperative.
- John Lindahl, Family Estates Cooperative.
- Robin Cutter and Marla Tripp, Fisherville #107 Cooperative.
- Jeffery Lowell and Betty McKiever-Lowell, Forest Park Cooperative.
- Judith Prince, Heron Point Cooperative.
- Hayden Beckman, Hilltop Cooperative.
- Donna Lemay and Carrie McCarthy, Lakemont Cooperative.
- Kathy Wright, Lilac Drive Cooperative.
- Karen Kirkpatrick, Steve Palmer and Susan Soule, Medvil Cooperative.
- William Buttermark, North Country Village.
- Wendy Miller, Old Lakeshore Cooperative.
- Beatrice Raiche, Olde Towne Homeowners.
- David Krygeris, Marie Vadala, Edward Vergato, and Pamela Vergato, Ossipee Mountain Estates Cooperative.
- Sharon Brant and Nancy Lamoureux, Otarnic Pond Cooperative.
- Jane Astley, Pepperidge Woods Cooperative.
- Fred Wheeler, Rambling Woods Cooperative.
- David Curtis and Michelle L'Heureux, Rock Rimmon Cooperative.
Former ROC-NH Organizational Development Specialist Gary Faucher now works for ROC USA.
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ROC-NH™ is a program of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, Inc. and a ROC USA® Certified Technical Assistance Provider.
ROC-NH is a registered service mark of ROC USA, LLC.
