 IOPL Summer Update
The offices at the IOPL certainly haven't slowed down since the
graduation of our Spring 2005 class in June. We have been extremely
busy working on some of our new "Track 2" projects. You may recall
in Robin's letter to you in February that he mentioned the IOPL
would start doing more initiatives for those already serving in
elected and appointed office as well as more localized programs in
various areas throughout North Carolina. We made good on that
promise, starting on May 23rd with the first of what we hope to be a
series of forums designed for elected officials. Thanks to the
generosity of the J.W. Pope Family Foundation we were able to put on
a one-day forum entitled "Critical Issues and Policy Making in North
Carolina". We targeted those who are already serving in elected
office, primarily in the General Assembly and executive branch
agencies. We had a great variety of expert panelists who discussed
the various issues that face North Carolina. Topics such as
Education, Policy Ideas, and NC's Fiscal Challenges were highlights
of the program. We hope to continue with that success and hold
additional forums for elected and appointed officials in the future.
May was also the beginning of a great relationship with the
Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem Police Departments and the
area State Troopers. They approached the IOPL about helping them to
design and execute a leadership program that would be tailored to
fit the needs of that area and address the leadership problems that
each of these agencies face. Throughout the summer and fall, Robin
will continue to work as both a facilitator and coach to other
facilitators during each of their sessions. He has also worked with
the core group that is responsible for the development of the
curriculum for the course. This team for the Triad is making great
strides at developing leadership within their agencies and the IOPL
is excited to be a part of that!
And finally, the IOPL was at the Chamber of Commerce in Lake
Norman on June 18 conducting a one-day workshop for potential
candidates in the area. Through a grant from Energy United the Lake
Norman Chamber of Commerce brought the IOPL to the Lake. Robin
covered topics such as strategy, fundraising, and media. Though the
candidates didn't get the advantage of the full 10-week IOPL
program, they did get a foundation from which to get their campaigns
started. This was a great way to take IOPL out in the community.
We'd love to do more for area groups, so if you know of Chambers of
Commerce that might be looking for this type of programming just let
us know.
As you can see, we're keeping busy around here trying to bring
you and other North Carolinians the type of programs that are needed
to develop great leaders in our communities and for the betterment
of North Carolina. If you have ideas about how we could better
accomplish this, please let us know. We're always glad to hear from
you!
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