MSU debuts community leadership programs

This morning, the university announced the Greater Ozarks Leadership Development program and the Greater Ozarks Leadership Education and Development program, both part of the first initiative under MSU’s Community and Social Issues Institute.

The programs are designed for current and future community leaders that would like to enhance their leadership skills.

First-year funding for the initiatives totaling $74,000 has been provided by Jim D. Morris, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the Coover Regional Grantmaking program and MSU.

The Greater Ozarks Leadership Development program is an eight-month program that helps civic leaders hone their skills in communication, media relations, collaboration, team building, coalition building, negotiations and strategic planning.

Participants will examine regional issues such as work force development, education, economic development, infrastructure, quality of life, community service, funding/resource availability and the political process.

Monthly courses will be taught in different communities and will use classroom and experiential exercises. Participants will be selected based on their leadership experience and their desire to become more effective leaders.

The Greater Ozarks Leadership Education and Development program will help provide educational and networking opportunities to nonprofit leaders. Participants can follow a beginner or advanced track.

Curriculum of the program, about eight or nine months in length, will focus on strategic planning, board development, finance, marketing, management principles, fund-raising and volunteer management.

“Volunteers contribute countless hours to promoting the common good, and they are, to change the metaphor, the backbone of our civil society,” institute Director Lloyd Young said in a news release. “The (institute) at Missouri State is committed to providing tools to this army of volunteers in order to help them become even more proficient at building strong communities.”

The MSU institute, MSU’s College of Continuing Education and the Management Development Institute of the school’s College of Business Administration will sponsor the programs.

Interested individuals may begin applying for the programs in mid-June by calling (417) 836-3701.[[In-content Ad]]