Program Review Committee Offers Ideas for Next Year

As we anticipate our 26^th class of Leadership Akron, we’re looking forward to watching them experience some tried and true highlights of the program, whether it’s fellowship with leaders at the Opening Retreat, the whirlwind tour of local gems on Arts/Culture Day, or the “WhiteCoats” shadowing experience at our local hospitals. We’re also looking forward to trying some new ideas out with Class 26, thanks to our program review committee. 

This committee was convened to take an overall “30,000-foot” view of the program. It included Ron Kopp ’87, who served as committee chair as a Leadership Akron board member and who co-chaired Media Day for twenty years. Also joining the committee were three recent graduates who offered rich perspectives on leadership and on the community: David James ’08, Superintendent of Akron Public Schools; Marcella Kanfer Rolnick ’08, Vice Chair of GOJO Industries; and Steve Strah ’07, President of Ohio Edison. Together, this group examined a number of the program’s features, including which topics are covered, different learning methods used, and the overall cohesiveness of the program.

With all this brainpower on the committee, more than a few great ideas emerged. All agreed that the overall model is valuable and “overhaul” was not the objective. That said, we’re excited about their recommendations—here are some of the most significant:

•   Working with classmates at the Retreat through a condensed version of the “Imagine Akron” process. This will pull together leadership perspectives, demographics, and other information to “tell the story” of where Akron’s been, where we are, and where it could go. These conversations would result in the class identifying several key priorities or problems that could be revisited throughout the year.

•  Adding signature experiences during the year on two areas that have risen in significance in recent decades: the environment and The University of Akron. We can do a better job telling the story, for instance, of how our MetroParks, Canalway, and National Park weave together to create an unparalleled cluster of natural resources. Or the story of how the University has become a powerhouse not just for education but for economic development and a vibrant downtown.

 We’re looking forward to working with a variety of community partners to create new experiences like this in the coming year. As we do so, we’ll continue to be grateful for this group’s work. In addition to some great new ideas, they gave us some great reminders that anyone can use in leading an organization. Sometimes, we can get to the point of “not being able to see the forest for the trees” and an outside perspective helps us generate ideas we never would have produced on our own.  While Leadership Akron has been successful for 25 years, we must continually strive to improve and make each year better than the last. As the year unfolds we will hopefully gain a final insight from this committee’s work: sometimes a small change can significantly enhance an already great experience.

To comment on LeaderLog, please submit your comments using the form below. Don't forget to include your name and affiliation, or your comments may not be posted.