Last week, the Child and Family Services (C+FS) Leadership Development Program’s fourth cohort graduated and earned their certificates for completing the four-week training program. The Leadership Development Program is designed to help leaders learn new skills, increase leadership competencies, gain new perspectives and become more self-aware to be more effective in their roles. Individuals are nominated and selected for this program.

The main goal of the Leadership Development Program is to ensure current and future leaders have the necessary skills to meet the current and future needs of the Agency.

“When leaders feel more equipped to handle their roles while also growing, coaching and developing others, they are more likely to feel a sense of autonomy, mastery and purpose in their work,” explained Yvonne DuBois, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer and one of the facilitators of the Leadership Development Program. “Ultimately, we want to communicate the desire to retain and grow our leadership within the organization.”

The fourth cohort represented staff members with “Implied Authority,” – employees who don’t currently supervise someone directly, but have responsibilities that require depth in leadership skills and an ability to navigate complex situations. Participants took a course called “Influence without Authority,” which discussed power dynamics and 360 leadership. The group also completed personal assessments and self-discovery exercises to help understand their personal leadership style.

“The Leadership Development Program has helped me spotlight my role and recognize my effectiveness in certain areas of my position,” said Angie Castro, Program Assistant of C+FS Employee Assistance Program. “This experience could benefit new staff during the on-boarding process as well as those already emersed in the C+FS culture.”

Please join us in congratulating the following individuals for completing the Leadership Development Program:

Tesfaye Adella, Service Technician II

Lindsay Acker, DV High Risk Team Coordinator and Hotline Services Supervisor

Angie Castro, Coordinator of Administrative Services and Office Manager for EAP and CRJ

Ameena Dixon, Risk Management Coordinator

Jen Michalovic, Database Administrator

Ally Nye, Program Assistant

Jamie Roscoe, Data Analyst

Barb Rupple, Executive Administrative Assistant

Emily Starr, EAP Senior Counselor