While working with United Way I was continuing to work with clients as a coach. The coaching work was a bit isolating because I’d work from home, mostly with folks over the phone at a distance, and it’s all confidential. Because I have a deep need for connection, I decided I wanted to keep some part-time work. The next project that came along was contracting with the Department of Social Services to lead the 211 project, which involved a huge community effort – 20 organizations, 26 individuals, over 3 years. Nevada County became the first rural county in California to have 2-1-1 in 2010.
For the last five years, I have also been the facilitator for the Nevada County Community Leadership Program (NCCLI), a leadership course focused on learning about different sectors in our community. Participants spend a day each month for the better part of a year focused on ten different sectors in the community from the Arts to Criminal Justice. I went through the training ten years ago and really loved it, so it felt like a great fit when they invited me to be the new facilitator. My role keeps me connected to what’s happening in a lot of different sectors and what’s new.
4. Is there a history of community service in your family background? Briefly, how would you describe it?
No, absolutely not. My family didn’t believe in being a “joiner.” There wasn’t any role-modeling when I was growing up for community service. Now that’s changed, and my whole family is involved in different aspects of service.
Community service began to be important to me once I completed the NCCLI program and we were making our follow-up commitments. Many folks were involved in Rotary, which I realized was a service organization (not a networking group). So when I graduated from NCCLI I joined Rotary. I’ve also been very involved with Toastmasters.
5. What do you consider to be the greatest strengths and capabilities that have made you an effective civic community leader? Are they rooted in action, in your personal style, in your organizational, political, and personal relationships, or in something else?
I don’t see myself as a civic community leader. I really like people, I’m interested in a lot of issues, and I like connecting people with one another. One of my personal missions is to connect people to resources –whether through coaching where I connect people to their personal resources, or through the 211 project, which is a way of connecting the public to resources, or just connecting two people that I know are interested in similar things.
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