IPRA Today - IPRA Board of Director Candidate Nomination Information

Do you have what it takes to be a leader in your community?

The Leadership Academy is designed for level 1 (Personal Leadership), level 2 (Leading Your Team), and level 3 (Leading Your Agency) leaders. It is created in conjunction with the University of Illinois, and graduates will receive a certificate from U of I. It is a competitive program, accepting the cream of the crop in each level to a maximum of 30 people in each level. If you apply and are accepted, that alone will tell you that you are on the right path in your career; to proceed with the program you will learn many new skills for leaders in the park and recreation community. I encourage everyone to apply.

This year, the program will have all three levels meeting one day a month for six months, taking January off to focus on the conference, lasting September through March. Each level will meet on the same day at the Hoffman Estates Park District so that attendees can network with people in all three levels and people from out of town may more easily carpool across levels. The event will begin on day one with a joint keynote address and will include mixed level education for a few select topics. We have added diversity related training at all three levels, as well as project planning, as it relates to each level in your career.

The Education Committee, who hosts the Leadership Academy, is working jointly with the Professional Services Committee to bring the i-Learn experience to the Academy. This program will include a mixed level small group project which will span the seven months of the program, featuring a group presentation on the last day of the Academy. This will allow attendees to learn a subject in depth as well as network with their small group. The group presentations will be judged, feedback will be shared with each group, and a winning team will be named at the Graduation ceremony.

Additionally, we have varied the start and end times for each date of the program to allow out of town attendees to better manage traffic situations in the suburbs by having a mix of early dismissals and late dismissals.

Finally, all topics and speakers have been evaluated with some sessions replaced by what we hope will be an even stronger program.

Again, the Leadership Academy is IPRA's premiere educational program, designed for those people who hope to become the best leaders they can be for their communities, their agencies, and themselves. I hope that you will consider applying.

I hope to see your application soon! If you have questions, please feel free to email me at debbie@ilipra.org.

-Debbie Trueblood, CAE

536 East Avenue, LaGrange, IL 60525 | Phone: 708-588-2280 | Fax : 708-354-0535