In just over a week, Bergen LEADers will meet for the first ISSUE DAY of the year. We'll be spending the day looking at Community & Government...
When we were developing the Bergen LEADS program, we struggled for a long time to articulate the "so what" of Bergen LEADS - what exactly do we want our graduates to do after Bergen LEADS, and what kind of impact do we want to see from their participation in the program? It boils down to: once they're armed with information about local issues and needs, we want them to do something with what they learn by getting involved (or getting more involved) in their local communities.
This seminar is all about getting involved. Pat Schuber, our Seminar Director (and former Bergen County Executive), is going to give the group a primer on government in all its many forms, and talk about how municipal, County and State government intersect. Then he's going to put on a different (well and proudly-worn) hat and talk about his experiences as an elected official.
We'll also hear from elected officials - local, County and State - who will share their views on public service and leadership. Then, over lunch, we'll hear from someone at the Academy for Citizen Empowerment about how to become more actively involved in politics at home.
Then we'll hit the street! Eight teams of LEADers will travel to local non-profits to meet with CEOs, key staff and volunteers to learn how these organizations provide service to County residents. The County contracts with all of the them to provide service to some of our most vulnerable residents: children, seniors, the disabled, hungry and homeless and victims of domestic violence.
Pat and Lynne (our leadership guru) are polishing their presentations, and I'm tending to details - FOOD, maps/directions that get our LEADers to their intended destinations and speakers who arrive on time.
I can't wait for October 21!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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2 comments:
Gary made a great comment - "I have a wife and two young kids. Considering the lack of income, the negative press, and the constant necessity to raise money to campaign, why would anyone want to get involved with NJ politics?" As the only candidate for elected official in the room, many eyes looked to me. Rather than take the time to answer there, I felt it best to try and explain here.
I'm 41 years old, and in my opinion, I've lived more in my brief history than most people twice my age. In my early years, I "got the girl" when I married Robin, and from there it was "gravy." I have a business that does fine, relatives and friends who care about us, and three decent boys (at least so far). Currently, the staples and duct tape that is holding me together is working. I volunteer a significant portion of my time to youth sports. My business takes to me to two of the biggest issues we face as a society - healthcare and energy. My personality allows me to see things from all sides. I look at security, not just in military terms, but also in socioeconomic terms. As a society, most of us don't know what awaits us in the afterlife, so we cover ourselves by following religious teachings. At the same time, most of us don't know what the effects our society will have on the future of the planet, yet we seem to continue trashing it without second thought. Taking all of this into consideration, if I am not willing to put my effectiveness into helping to govern effectively, who will?
If anyone is interested, go to www.njtpa.org. I attended a meeting to discuss the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority goals through 2030. If you have ideas, now would be the time to share them. There are some lofty goals and some serious dollars being thrown around.
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