New Feature this Month:  ALP Member Profile

Aradhna Dhanda:  As President and CEO of Leadership Pittsburgh for the past five  years, Aradhna believes that hard work pays off and that is what keeps her going...that and a good Board of Directors, volunteers and a high-performing staff.   In a recent interview with ALP, Aradhna spoke of the many accomplishments she has seen during her tenure.  Among the initiatives she listed were the 1) first ever Regional Leadership Retreat, 2) a TEDWomens simulcast; 3) program to match alumni to nonprofits, state boards and commissions; 4) several new partnerships with local organizations.  

Leadership Pittsburgh was the first to join ALP as a member.  Aradhna noted that her mentor, Ted Carroll of Leadership Greater Hartford, was kind enough to show her the "ropes" as a newbie when she began her carrier in community leadership, asked her to become a Legacy Member and did so without hesitation.  "When I went through the leadership program here in Pittsburgh, it opened my eyes and mind to the possibilities in the Pittsburgh area. I began to see myself differently and I started to see my role in Pittsburgh differently.  My notion of personal leadership changed," said Aradhna.  "I know first hand what an impact a community leadership program can bring personally and professionally." 

We asked Aradhna, "What do you see on the horizon for community leadership programs?" Her answer:  "I don't have a crystal ball but I do see some level of a more in-depth systems approach to programming rather than silos.  Instead of presenting issues as they are, we are integrating public policy for our flagship program".  "In the next few years, we will look at curriculum through themes such as equity, sustainability, etc.  -and how does public policy shape the activity? If you press one side of the balloon, how does it impact the shape of the issue?"  "We also wrestle with technology--how do we integrate without losing the richness? As our communication base gets fatter, information is delivered in easier to get format, the importance of relationship building is going to increase.  Hence, in some ways, the value of vehicles like our leadership programs is going to get that much more unique."

To read the full interview click here.

Leadership Connections - Telemonthly "round table topic" Discussions

ALP’s Leadership Connections monthly teleconference calls will continue this spring with the April 26th topic on Fundraising and May 31st topic is Executive Programs.  There will not be teleconference session in June nor July.  The successful monthly discussions will resume in August with Orientation and September's topic is Government/Politics/Public Safety.  These teleconference calls continue to be a powerful tool for ALP members.  To join your peers, register on the ALP website. 

ALP joined forces with the Greenleaf Center for the National Conference

The annual leadership conference is right around the corner.  If you have not registered, you should do so today.  ALP is thrilled to collaborate with the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. "This is a great opportunity to offer our members an avenue to network, recognize DLA and Preceptors, and attend educational workshops," said Griff Hall, Chair of the Board of Directors of ALP.  "ALP was organized in the spring of 2010 and has made great strides in its first year offering members benefits, such as the leadership conference.  We reached our 100 member mark this month, which is a giant milestone for a grass root organization to accomplish in a year.  Join us in Texas for what promises to be a great experience."

ALP is offering four workshops that are specifically designed for community leadership programs, and a reception/recognition event for the Preceptor Award and Distinguish Leadership Award during the conference for our members.  These activities will supplement the strong line-up of presenters and keynotes on servant and community leadership already slated for the conference. For more information, click the green leaf. Kevin Stotts of Center for Community Leadership and Dick Hammond of Leadership on the Move are heading up the ALP presence at the Greenleaf International Conference.

The Distinguished Leader Award and the Preceptor Award nominations deadline has been extended until May 2nd.  If you are still contemplating submitting a nomination form, you need to do so now.  This award program is for ALP members only.  For more information about this prestigious recognition program, click here.

The Request For Proposal for the 2012 and beyond Annual Leadership Conference is available on the ALP website: www.alp-leaders.net

Regional Conferences Coming to a Location Near You

Check out these locations for the upcoming Regional Conferences.

June 7 - 8: Syracuse New York click here for more information.

October 13-14:  Louisville/Southern Indiana, click here for more information.

Leadership Florida is making tentative plans to host a regional/state conference in early December.  More information coming soon.

If you are interested in hosting a regional conference, please see the Guidelines on the ALP website or contact info@alp-leaders.net.

Membership Update

Please welcome our newest members:

Click here for a full listing of ALP members, and click here to add your program's name to the list!