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We Are Off and Running with the First Rural Leadership North Dakota Seminar
12/22/2003
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| Rural Leadership ND Participants |
The first Rural Leadership North Dakota seminar was held in Carrington, ND on November 20 – 22, 2003. There were 26 leaders from all over the state of North Dakota in attendance, along with staff from the North Dakota Extension Service. These leaders included three participants from the champion communities of Dakota Heartland, Dakota Stateline Alliance, and the Burke-Divide Champion Community, six participants from the SW REAP zone and one from the CONAC REAP zone. All of these participants were provided partial funding for the program through the efforts of the Champion-REAP Alliance board and the coordinating organizations, as well as the Division of Community Services.
The speakers were outstanding and spoke on a variety of topics related to “Discovering Leaders Within.” The speakers included Lindon Boyd, Dr. Sharon Anderson, Keith Bjerke, Rachelle Vettern, Marie Hvidsten and many others. The topics included information on “What does Leadership Mean to Me and What Do I Believe About Leadership” which was presented by a guest speaker, Lindon Boyd. He really made the group think about their own leadership skills, and to question what they need to do to become quality leaders. There were also workshops addressing “Appreciative Inquiry” and “Ethical Leadership” which helped the participants to question what kind of leaders they have been and what they may need to improve upon. There was a panel discussion from active and committed leaders, including a high school student, from the Carrington area who spoke about their own leadership experiences, what leadership means to them, and why it is important to have more leaders in the rural communities. There was a great deal of discussion about how important this program is, and how it can and will affect leadership and quality of life in the rural communities represented by the participants.
The food was outstanding and the fellowship wonderful. The synergy within this group that has already started to develop is really awesome and all the participants are committed to making a difference in their own communities as well as within the rest of the state. Thanks goes to all those organizations including the Champion-REAP Alliance who have made funding available for this program. The next seminar will take place in January in Minot, and will continue in locations around the state until the late spring of 2005. For more information about this program, please contact Marie Hvidsten, Rural Leadership Specialist, North Dakota State University Extension Service at mhvidste@ndsuext.nodak.edu or 701-231-5803 or Laura Every, Champion-REAP Alliance Director.
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More Info, Contact: |
Becky Meidinger |
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701-288-3275 ext. 21 |
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becky@techlink-nd.com |
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