Bergen LEADS Class of 2009 Graduates!

June 16 was a big day for the 28 individuals who first met each other almost a year to the day earlier. These 28 people - intrigued at the thought of learning more about Bergen County and strengthening their leadership skills - took a chance on a new program called Bergen LEADS.

Their gamble paid off, and the members of the inaugural Bergen LEADS Class of 2009 gathered at Bergen Community College on June 16 to celebrate their accomplishment in completing the program. More than 130 people attended the reception to honor the graduates and welcome the incoming Class of 2010.

Guests were treated to ample food and drink, then watched as each graduate came forward to receive a diploma (as well as certificates from the County Executive and County Sheriff), a beautiful commemorative crystal box, and a newly-minted Bergen LEADS pin. Members of the Class of 2009 also signed the "Bergen LEADS Top Dog" (which will be displayed prominently in the Bergen LEADS office!) and issued a challenge to the incoming class to top this!

June 16 marked the end of something really wonderful - the first year of Bergen LEADS - but also signaled the beginning of something else. Graduates are already meeting to form the Bergen LEADS graduate organization, whose members will continue to learn about critical issues in Bergen County, provide service to address community needs and continually strengthen this burgeoning network of Bergen County leaders.

Congratulations, Bergen LEADS Class of 2009!

Sustainable Jersey

Last week, I attended a meeting in New Brunswick regarding energy efficiency and sustainability in NJ. Sustainability means money. Incentives are being thrown around.

75% of energy audit costs are covered in these programs, both for schools and municipal buildings. The other 25% would be covered if the amount of the savings achieved by implementing the project exceeds the 25%. There are 5 pre-approved firms who can do the audits (including a company called Metro Energy, where I would only get involved with lighting). Essentially, the municipal building submits an audit request to the BPU, and they bid it out to the 5 companies to see who gets the audit job. I myself would not get involved with the bid to the BPU. With this kind of incentive for the audit, it’s well worth finding options. ESIP is the program of using the energy savings to pay for projects over time. Depending upon the project, it can be a maximum of 15 years or 20 years. All contractors must be DPMC listed, which is supposedly new for LPCL entities (i'm not sure what these acronyms mean). PL 2008, ch83 and PL2009, ch4 describe the Power Purchase Agreements for renewable and performance contracts. Apparently you can do debt/bond if the energy savings exceeds the costs. ITC tax credits, rebates, SRECS and RECs are available for solar.

In other words, there is absolutely no reason why every single entity shouldn’t be audited and get numbers together ASAP. In my opinion, every single municipal building (including and especially schools) should have an Internet based program to get qualitative load profiles (not just total usage, but a total picture). From there, so much can be attained, including the block purchasing of electricity. Also, when utilities start paying for the installation of solar panels, the buildings with detailed analysis should have the best chance of getting picked.

Sustainable Jersey has been launched. 40 municipalities have registered. I'm planning to register my town, which means in all likelihood that I will become the sustainability coordinator. This is going to take a lot of work to put this together, requiring multiple committee and citizen participation. In order to apply for grants in the upcoming year, supposedly the deadline for registering is May 6. Acknowledgements will be made at the November LOM awards. Lighting upgrades, green fairs, and home audits count. Much more can be done. If interested in helping your town, go to www.sustainablejersey.com. Happy Earth Day.

Application Deadline Just Three Weeks Away!

Yet another wild and crazy week for Bergen LEADS - not only did we host three more Open Houses, but the class also attended the Law & Public Safety Seminar on Tuesday.

The seminar followed a pattern similar to other seminar days - we started out at Bergen Community College (our wonderful home base most every month) with some breakfast and conversation. Members of the class have really bonded, and everyone's very excited to see their classmates and catch up.

Pat (William "Pat" Schuber, former Bergen County Executive and the Bergen LEADS Seminar Director) began by framing the day for our participants. Pat has a lot of experience in the law and public safety arena - he's an attorney, and he also works extensively with the law enforcement community on leadership development. Who better to open the seminar?

Our morning panel was terrific, with leaders from several disciplines coming together to discuss just how they and their organizations work to keep Bergen County residents and businesses safe. Speakers included Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, Sgt. Barry Leventhal of the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management and Chief Patrick O'Dea from the Haworth Police Department (and president of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association), who talked about their respective organizations and their leadership role. Dr. Phil Dolce, who is the director of the Institute for Suburban Criminal Justice at Bergen Community College, spoke of efforts - targeted to middle and high school students - to prevent gang involvement .

After the panel, the class had some time to work on their projects and eat lunch. Part of the "giveback" of Bergen LEADS is participation in a project that will benefit a non-profit organization, a municipality or the residents of the County. The class of 2009 has undertaken five uniquely different projects. One team is working with the Executive County Superintendent of Schools to research how school districts might save money through shared services, while another team is working with mental health organizations and school districts to see how they can better serve children with behavioral issues. Another team is working with the Urban League of Bergen County to develop a strategic plan. Finally, a team is working to develop a strategy to reach communities that are underrepresented in the volunteer pool and another is working to create an alumni organization for Bergen LEADS. Each time will present its recommendations and report at the closing retreat in May.

The site visits this month were really exciting - the Bergen County Jail (we all got to leave!), Teterboro Airport, the Law & Public Safety Institute in Mahwah, the United Water water treatment facility in Haworth and the Paramus Police Department. Class members returned to the seminar filled with a new appreciation for law enforcement.

In the afternoon, we heard from Larry Rauch and Steve Ahlstedt from the Law & Public Safety Institute, who talked about the role of volunteers in public safety. We closed the day with a keynote address from John Molinelli, the Bergen County Prosecutor, who was a fabulous speaker with lots of war stories and good advice on leadership.

Many of those same class members who attended a full day seminar on Tuesday also turned out for the three Open Houses that we held this week. Our thanks to TD Bank, Rebuilding Together Bergen County and Matisse Chocolatier for hosting these informational sessions for prospective applicants. We had more than 30 people attend, and hope to see lots of applications for the Class of 2010 (no surprise - the session at Matisse recorded the best attendance ever for an open house - maybe it was the chocolate?)

Intrigued by Bergen LEADS? We hope you'll consider applying to the program or telling someone else about the program. Applications are due April 2, 2009 and can be downloaded from www.bergenleads.org

Busy Week for Bergen LEADS!

It's been a whirlwind week for those of us associated with Bergen LEADS, as we kick into high gear for recruiting applicants for the Class of 2010!

On Tuesday, we had 12 prospective applicants attend an Open House at Cole Schotz, a law firm in Hackensack. We had another great Open House at Holy Name Hospital on Thursday, and finished the week with an information event at Bergen Community College in the Meadowlands. Members of the Class of 2009 were on hand at all of the events, and shared their experiences and thoughts about Bergen LEADS. The best news? 100% of the interested applicants would be GREAT program participants, so we're hoping that we see their applications very soon (DEADLINE - APRIL 2!)

And just an observation...at each of the open house events, it's been almost eerie to see how many connections people already have without knowing it. Just this morning, two prospective applicants had gone to high school and college together in Queens (and hadn't seen each other for a LONG time), two others realized that their organizations were partnering on a very unique program (although they didn't know each other) and two were really involved in Girl Scouts (and the CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey in in the current class). Instead of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" we're going to have to start "Two Degrees of Bergen LEADS!"

On Wednesday night, we hosted the Leaders of Bergen Reception at the Hilton Woodcliff Lake, a huge corporate supporter of the Volunteer Center that underwrote a large portion of the event (thank you!) More than 60 people attended the event - members of the Bergen LEADS Class of 2009, the Bergen LEADS Advisory Panel, Volunteer Center board members and many, many people who were interested in finding out more about the program. Our own Kim Caesar, Class of 2009, spoke about her experience in the program and how critically important it is that corporations, foundations and individual donors provide financial support for scholarships (Kim received a scholarship - the only way that she was able to participate). Bergen LEADS is anticipating an increased number of requests for financial assistance, so support for the program is more important this year than ever!

Next week will be another crazy week. First, we've got three more Open Houses scheduled:

• Wednesday, March 11 at TD Bank in Ramsey, from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
• Wednesday, March 11 at Rebuilding Together Bergen County in Glen Rock, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
• Thursday, March 12 at Matisse Chocolatier in Englewood, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm (this one's standing room only - could it be the chocolate?)

Space is still available, so if you're interested in finding out more, e-mail amissey@bergenvolunteers.org to register.

In addition to helping out with the Open Houses, Bergen LEADS class members will also attend the Law & Public Safety Seminar on Tuesday. We've got a great day lined up, including site visits to the Law & Public Safety Institute, the Bergen County Jail, Teterboro Airport, United Water's Haworth Plant and the EMS training facility in Paramus.

Find out more about Bergen LEADS - go to www.bergenleads.org! And if you're interested in speaking to a member of the Bergen LEADS Class of 2009, just let us know and we'll put you in touch.

Bergen LEADS Recruiting Class of 2010

Now, more than ever, our future rests with our leaders.

Leading isn't easy in the best of times, but when times are tough, who and what you know may just determine how well you and your organization survive.

Bergen LEADS prepares local leaders to lead - in good times and bad. This exciting, experiential leadership program reveals the inner workings of Bergen County and provides the opportunity to interact with the people who make things happen.

We're looking for 30 talented leaders for the Bergen LEADS Class of 2010.

Are you ready to LEAD?

Bergen LEADS is an eye-opening, year-long learning and leadership experience that will challenge your assumptions about Bergen County and its people, introduce you to County leaders and decision makers, expose you to widely divergent views of Bergen County issues, bring Bergen County to life through exciting field trips and site visits, and illuminate and strengthen your leadership style.

We're looking for men and women who live or work in Bergen County, represent all professions and segments of our community, have different political, religious and social views and represent all ethnic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds.


Find out more about Bergen LEADS and meet members of the Class of 2009 at an upcoming Open House. Open houses are free of charge. Directions will be sent upon receipt of your registration.


BERGEN LEADS OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 3, 2009
8:30 - 10:00 am
Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, Hackensack

Thursday, March 5, 2009
8:30 - 10:00 am
Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck

Friday, March 6, 2009
8:30 - 10:00 am
Bergen Community College - Meadowlands Campus, Lyndhurst

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
11:30 am - 1 pm
TD Bank, Ramsey

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Rebuilding Together Bergen County, Glen Rock

Thursday, March 12, 2009
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Matisse Chocolatier, Englewood

To register for an Open House, RSVP to

201-489-9454 x119 or
amissey@bergenvolunteers.org

Directions will be sent upon receipt of your registration.
There is no charge to attend any of the information sessions.

For more information and an application, go to www.bergenleads.org

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 2, 2009

LEADS December Seminar - a Look at Healthcare

The topic: healthcare. The diagnosis: not quite on life support, but there are an awful lot of issues that many of us never gave a thought to before this seminar.

Our keynote speaker was Mike Azzara, the former CEO of Valley Hospital who now consults with hospitals on leadership and governance. Mike gave a global view of healthcare in this country and laid the foundation for the rest of the day, much of which focused on the very public battle over whether to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital.

You'd have to be living under a rock not to be aware of this issue. Hackensack University Medical Center - who now owns the property - and for-profit Legacy Hospital Partners out of Texas have proposed that a new 128-bed acute care hospital be opened at the site. Valley Hospital and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center have mounted a campaign to keep that from happening, saying that the healthcare landscape would be immeasurably harmed if it did. Both sides have websites and are arguing their case publicly.

We thought the Bergen LEADers should get the real scoop, so we invited representatives from both sides to come argue their case. In the morning, John Birkner, Mayor of Westwood, and Charlotte Vandervalk, Assemblywoman for the 39th District, spoke about why the hospital should be reopened. In the afternoon, Gail Callandrillo from Valley Hospital and Mike Pietrowicz from Englewood Hospital made the case for not reopening the hospital.

At the end of the day, LEADS participants debated the issue. Thirteen of 24 thought that the hospital should not reopen, five wanted more information, four voted to reopen the hospital and two abstained from voting. The issue generated lively conversation, although there was no clear mandate from the group.

"I really enjoyed hearing from both sides of the PVH issue. It didn't change my mind but it did give me additional information. It also demonstrated the consolidation issue yet again."

"The debate about the hospital showed how people become so committed to a cause that it allows them to become immune to anything else but their beliefs. Self interest can be very powerful and almost dangerous."

The issue will be decided by the state sometime in 2009. To find out more, go to:
New Jersey Commission on Rationalizing Healthcare
http://www.state.nj.us/health/rhc/finalreport/documents/entire_finalreport.pdf

Keep Our Hospitals Healthy (Valley/Englewood)
www.keepourhospitalshealthy.org

Hackensack University Medical Center
http://www.humc.com/north/news.html

Although it's the most public, whether to reopen Pascack Valley hospital is certainly not the only healthcare issue on the table in Bergen County. To get an up-close and personal view of healthcare delivery in different settings, teams visited Holy Name Hospital, the NHCAC Clinic in Garfield (medical and dental care for un- and underinsured), Jewish Home at Rockleigh (private, non-profit long-term care), Bergen County Healthcare Center (county-run long-term care facility) and West Bergen Mental Healthcare Center for Children and Youth. As always, the site visits engendered lots of comments:

"The site visit caused me to think more critically about the quality of, and accessibility to, health care services, especially for uninsured and under insured populations."

"A visit to the hospital when you are not a patient is always a good thing :). Seriously, I knew zero on this topic before the conference and feel much more knowledgeable. I find myself more interested in reading about this topic in the newspaper than I ever felt before."

There's never enough time to explore all of the issues, but each Bergen LEADS seminar provides food for thought and will hopefully stimulate some good discussion around the dinner table in the ensuing weeks...

Education in Bergen County focus of second LEADS seminar

Bergen LEADS class members got a good look at education in Bergen County at the November Education Seminar.

The morning got off to a great start with a screening of the film "Say It Loud" by Jordan Coleman. Jordan, a student at Hackensack Middle School and the voice of Tyrone the Moose on the Backyardigans, made the film when he was only 12 years old! In it, he interviews a number of famous black men about why education is important and why young black men should stay in school. After the film, Jordan answered questions from the audience members, all of whom were impressed by what he's been able to accomplish so far. Check out the film at http://www.sayitloudfilm.com/

Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan, the president of Bergen Community College, spoke about Community Colleges in the 21st Century. In his short tenure, Dr. Ryan has been instrumental in bringing the college out to the community, a role which will become increasingly important given the current economic climate.

Teams of Bergen LEADS participants fanned out across the county to visit schools and see what K-12 educational options are available. Site visits included Bergen Arts & Sciences Charter School, Hackensack High School, Al-Ghazaly High School, Bergen Catholic High School, River Dell Regional School System, Head Start (pre-K) and Dwight Englewood. Said one LEADer:

"The site visits are fantastic - to see and interact in real time versus just discussing issues from a removed vantage point. Obviously it's important to have background preparation for the visit. But the visits have been, for me, very insightful and powerful."

A visit from Dr. Aaron Graham, Bergen County Executive Superintendent of Schools, wrapped up the day. Dr. Graham's presentation about recently enacted legislation to create the office of County Executive Superintendent and the resultant focus on shared services for school districts was a surprise to most in attendance. According to one participant:

"Dr Graham's presentation was very informative and provocative. It is cool to have and understand information prior to the community at large so that we can help better educate other residents."

After a debrief, another day was done. Several class members have expressed their wish to extend each seminar to two days, because there's just not enough time to fit everything in. That's a thought for another day...