Strategies for Cultivating Local Leaders: Meg Staloff Presents at the Vermont Downtown Conference
As part of the Vermont Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference in Bellows Falls this summer, SVEP program manager Meg Staloff presented a talk on “Inviting New Voices for Leadership,” based on takeaways from the Fall/Winter Get on Board program. A panel of statewide leaders and Get on Board program participants also joined the presentation to share their perspectives – Aileen Chute, Town of Putney selectboard; Alyssa Johnson, VCRD; Ted Brady, VLCT; Will Greer, Town of Bennington JP; and Naomi Parekh, Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless board president.
Many communities and organizations struggle to fill volunteer boards, committees, and other leadership positions. The Get on Board program was created by BDCC’s Southern Vermont Economy Project to help address this shortage by giving interested community members a foundation for effective community leadership. The program included information about the kinds of opportunities available, as well as a broad perspective and some actionable skills participants could take back to their communities.
Based on conversations over the course of the program with current and prospective community leaders, a list of what volunteers really need to succeed, stick around, and recruit others to join them emerged.
Volunteers need …
- To feel welcome to participate (both messaging and follow-through)
- To be aware that there’s a need for them (based on communication and outreach)
- To feel confident (know their job – materials and training)
- To feel supported (through teambuilding and mentorship)
- To feel appreciated by their community
The VT Downtown Conference panel featured a lively discussion. Aileen Chute from Putney commented that she has come to realize that a lot of people may not know how their municipality works and what the selectboard does at its meetings. She remarked that, “It’s important to get the word out. People who would love to serve on a town committee aren’t necessarily the ones who are showing up at your meetings.”
Naomi Parekh emphasized the importance of respect when it comes to having a healthy board that people want to join and stay on, along with having a positive board-staff relationship. Volunteer work can seem never-ending, so, she advises, “Let board members know, ‘We are grateful for whatever time you have to dedicate to this work.’”
For organizations or communities seeking to implement a “Get on Board” leadership development program of their own, Meg shared some top tips:
- When doing outreach about your program, work to reach beyond the folks who are already listening.
- Use existing statewide resources and content as program materials – there is a lot of useful information that has already been put together!
- Be sure to include a local leaders panel as part of the program. It’s a great way to introduce community leaders in a variety of positions and have them speak to the specific challenges and joys of their roles.
- Town moderators are a great resource! Invite one or two of them to share with participants, particularly about civil dialogue and meaningful engagement with all sides of an issue.
- Give participants “homework” to attend a local (public) meeting and report back on their experience.
- Leave plenty of time for discussion with the group so people can think outside the box.
- Follow up with participants about their longer-term goals and create opportunities for ongoing network support.
The full presentation and panel discussion is available from FACT TV.
About the Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP)
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Southern Vermont Economy Project provides training and technical assistance to increase local capacity, skills, and resources in the Southern VT Economic Development Zone (encompassing Bennington and Windham counties, and the town of Weston) in order to advance local projects critical to Southern Vermont achieving critical community, economic, and workforce development goals. SVEP is funded in part through the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative. For more information please visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/svep/
