VT Leadership turns out for

“Cultural competence and 

Effective Leadership” luncheon

 

In the green mountain state of Vermont demographic change remain a challenging constant as more and more ethnic and culturally diverse populations resettle or relocate in pursuit of happiness.

Forward thinking, on 6/23/09, the Social Equity Investment Project (SEIP) a program of the City of Burlington Vermont’s Legacy Project hosted a luncheon to benefit the Vermont Leadership Institute (VLI)/Social Equity Scholarship Fund sponsored by: Burlington Legacy Project, Holiday Inn Williston Road, Opportunities Credit Union, United Way of Chittenden County, and Richard A. and Barbara W. Snelling Center for Government.

The luncheon theme was: Cultural Competence and Effective Leadership. The much anticipated Keynote Speaker: Daniello Balón,Ph.D was an inspiration as he explored “Vermont leadership in the context of cultural competence: within and beyond demographic shift and changing landscape”.

Dan is Director of the Burlington School District Diversity & Equity Office, and former director of the University of Maryland’s Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy.  He is a published author and has presented to national audiences on the role of diversity in education.

A self identified Asian Pacific American, Dan insisted the major reason he moved Vermont…was “Vermont’s coordinated efforts on meeting the diverse needs of state’s increasingly diverse populations.” He oversees 9 schools, 3600 students which 25% identify as ethnically diverse. Couple with one in six households English is not their native language.

Over fifty Vermont leaders supported the luncheon including Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss a strong supporter of social equity work. Other leaders included: Jeanne Collins; Superintendent Burlington School District, Gretchen Morse; Director Chittenden County of United Way, Brenda Torpy; Director Champlain Housing Trust, Chery Fanatsi; Director Opportunities Credit Union, Brian Hsiang; Youth Build/Diversity Trainer, Trevor Whimple; Chief South Burlington Police, Hal Colston; Director Neighbor Keepers, Curtis Reed; VT Partnership for Diversity & Fairness, Jacob Borge; Director AALV, Denise Dunbar; Region Coordinator Reading to End Racism, Vivian Mason; Co-Director Conversations On Race, Mediha Jusufagic, Director Bosnian Lillies/Bosnia and Herzegovina Family and youth Association, Denise Lamoureux; VT State refuge program,  Robert Appel; VT Human Rights Commission  and several high ranking officers from the Burlington Police Department

•  About Vermont Leadership Institute (VLI): The Snelling Center for Government’s Vermont Leadership Institute (VLI) is the state’s premier civic leadership development program.  The over 300 graduates are leaders who are actively shaping Vermont’s future.
•  About the Social Equity Scholarship Fund (SESF): The SESF was established to ensure that VLI is accessible to all leaders and emerging leaders across social equity groups. VLI is committed to social equity which means including those constituencies which traditionally have been excluded, under-served or marginalized in our communities.
•  About the Social Equity Investment Project (SEIP): In March, the SEIP received the 2nd place 2009 City Cultural Diversity Award nationally to honor community leadership in developing creative and effective programs designed to improve and promote cultural diversity through a collaborative process with city officials, community leaders and residents. The mission is to identify and support leadership across all communities to facilitate sustainable and effective social change.

Clearly engaged, many leaders offered valuable feedback, such as: regionalize on an ongoing basis, analysis of cultural competency of institutions “city of Burlington,  University of Vermont, Champlain College, financial, housing”, would like a day or two to discuss competency and leadership in all communities, concrete steps forward—real commitments from folks—that they will do real things big or small, we need a concrete plan from leaders, journal or informal mentoring opportunities for young leaders of color, “How can we go deeper and get more real with each other.”…. As Dan said “How can we take intentional action and have the support and time to do the preparation.”

Dan concluded with the following words of encouragement, “Leaders like you can level the playing field, being conscious of the dynamics of power and acting towards equity and empowerment.”

During closing remarks, Wanda Hines; SEIP Director stated “We are within a cultural crossroad which beckons us not to sit idly on the sideline which is why the VLI/SESF is so symbolic of ownership and direction about how real social change must be acknowledged and embraced.”

As community leaders without hurry left, taking with them newly shared ideas, Wanda summed up the cultural competency discussion as an opportunity for empowering Vermont moral courage to create a pipeline for effective leadership representative of all populations. Coupled, with Dan noticing “Many of the luncheon leadership expressed a strong need to move beyond dialogue to action.”

A few days later, Sue McCormack, VLI Director, provided the most valuable observation, “The content was useful and…the right people were in the room…”

So…what’s next?  Perhaps, continued facilitated dialogue about power sharing, who gets to decide and the importance of being a learning community. Stay tuned…..