STUDENT ENRICHMENT | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

August 2020, Vol. 5

Presenting....

CPNM's Quarterly News:
#LevinLeads

In this edition, you'll read the latest news about the Ohio Certified Public Manager Program, our upcoming Women's Leadership events, the 2020-2021 Mentoring Program, and more! Plus, we're showcasing some of our partners, alumni, and students.

ABOUT THE CENTER

Established in February 2018, Cleveland State University’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Management integrates several functions within the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs – connecting professional development, student enrichment, and community engagement opportunities.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

On June 4, 2020, the national Certified Public Manager® (CPM) consortium voted to fully accredit the Ohio CPM Program offered through the Levin College at Cleveland State University. This accreditation means the Ohio CPM program can grant eligible candidates with nationally-recognized CPM credentials.

To receive the CPM credential, participants must enroll in and successfully complete the Public Management Academy and Leadership Academy. The Center’s academies not only develop leadership and management skills, but provide the necessary tools to affect positive organizational change.

READ THE PRESS RELEASE HERE

Be a part of history! Come join us as we celebrate the BIG "3-0". Can you believe we're about to launch our 30th Leadership Academy class? (We can't either!) We have some big plans up our sleeves for this year's cohort (a Leadership symposium, opportunities to connect with alumni, and more!)

Online applications for Leadership Academy 30 are now available! Sessions will begin on October 22, 2020. The Academy will be held online for the interim until it's safe to transition to in-person classes. You can access the schedule here.

FOR MORE INFO AND TO APPLY, CLICK HERE

THANK YOU, LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 29!

THANK YOU to the 29th Leadership Academy class for lending a helping hand to those experiencing homelessness in the Greater Cleveland area. The class collected various in-kind and monetary donations to support the work of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless.

Each year, the Leadership Academy class plans, develops, and implements a community engagement project. This year's class faced a few obstacles due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had to switch gears to accommodate the current safety and health measures in place. Although the project looked slightly different than originally planned, the cohort followed through, and still reached the goals originally set.

*Picture provided by Joe Kickel

"The Team of Leadership Academy 29 originally conceived of a project that involved a food truck day for the homeless along with giveaways during the event like “essential kits” containing much needed toiletry and personal items.

The team engaged with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) to identify avenues to various local homeless shelters where the event could be held. Different team members who worked at various local agencies started collecting donations for food, and the much needed items. Almost halfway through the project the world was stricken by COVID-19, and the team had to re-develop the project to adapt to the risks and challenges faced by communal gatherings.

The project was re-developed a couple of times as the conditions and the requirements of social distancing changed. After communicating with the staff at NEOCH, it was determined that one of most needed items for the homeless was canned foods that can be easily opened with pop-tops and personal items since many shelters were reducing their levels. The team did not give up on delivering a viable project, and quickly rose to the challenge purchasing boxes of food, putting together much needed toiletry kits, and collecting additional funds to donate to NEOCH. Although the project changed greatly from what was originally conceived, the goal never changed, which was to deliver a project that would improve the quality of life for homeless people, providing them with a sense of community, and a feeling of belonging."

~Joe Kickel, Leadership Academy 29

The willingness to adapt and come up with creative solutions during uncertain times are true signs of leadership.
Way to go, Leadership Academy 29!!

And...thanks to Joe Kickel for leading this effort. The cohort recognized Joe's commitment to the project, voting him as the "Leadership Academy 29 Outstanding Fellow."

Joe serves as the Captial Project Manager at the City of Cleveland Heights.

Congrats, Joe!!

FOR MORE INFO AND TO APPLY, CLICK HERE

2019-2020 Project Presentations

The recordings from the 2019-2020 Public Management Academy project presentations are now available on YouTube. Many of the participants who presented will receive their CPM credential in September.

Part 1: 2019-2020 Project Presentations

Part 2:2019-2020 Project Presentations

Congrats to our Ohio CPM graduates!

On September 30th, we will officially credential the Ohio Certified Public Manager Program graduates who've successful completed Public Management Academy, Leadership Academy, and their project requirements. Congrats to the following Ohio CPM candidates:

Tonina Campbell, Greater Cleveland RTA
Frank Corlett, City of Solon
Michael Dalby, Cleveland Public Library
Lamont Dodson, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Crystal Franklin, Cleveland State University
Orjada Gecaj, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Alexandra Higl, Cleveland State University
Amiya Hutson, Cleveland Public Library
Mayor William Koons, South Russell Village
Alexis Marcano, Greater Cleveland RTA
Willie Morris, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Oliver Reyes, Cleveland Public Library
Larry Surber, City of Westlake
Ben Wright, City of Westlake

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CPM PROGRAM HERE

For more information about professional development programs, contact Rob Ziol at r.ziol@csuohio.edu.

THE WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SERIES

The Women's Leadership Series (Women Empowering Women) officially launched in October 2018 under CPNM and the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service.

After serving in the Ohio Senate for over 16 years, Senator Grace L. Drake founded the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service in 2001 at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs. Senator Drake established the Center in hopes of inspiring more women to pursue public sector careers.

The Women's Leadership Series was created to engage and empower public and nonprofit sector leaders throughout Northeast Ohio, while promoting the concept of gender representation at all levels of leadership. The theme - "Women Empowering Women" - hones in on the notion that women should support, empower, and mentor one another. The series' programming is strategically designed to capitalize on this theme of empowerment within sectors where political pressures are at play, resources remain tight, and the competition to rise to executive leadership endures.

Rescheduled Event:
Share Your Story: Featuring India Birdsong
CEO & General Manager of Greater Cleveland RTA

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Time: 9-10:30 am
This event will be held online using Zoom video conferencing software.

About This Event
Join us for the launch of the "Share Your Story" Program. This event features India L. Birdsong, CEO & General Manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA). Birdsong joined RTA in September 2019, and brings nearly 16 years' experience working in the public transit industry in cities such as Chicago and Nashville. We will also be joined by Dawn Tarka, who serves as Associate Counsel at RTA and sits on the Center's Women's Leadership Advisory Committee.

The "Share Your Story" Program is a new initiative of the Women's Leadership Series. Participants will listen to a female in executive leadership share her story, and engage in conversation.

REGISTRATION IS FREE

Join us for our first Women's Leadership Continuing Education course!
LinkedIn: An Indispensable Career Tool
Instructor: Sue Nelson

Tuesday, Oct. 6th & Thursday, Oct. 8th
4:30-6:30 pm
(Participants must attend both sessions. Sessions will take place online using Zoom video conferencing software.)

Contact hours: 4

Course Description: LinkedIn is the way professionals stay current in their field, find each other, and stay connected. It’s also the way professionals are found when recruiters or hiring managers are looking for candidates. And, it’s the way people in your field find you to network for ideas and connections to move your work along.

This very practical and interactive workshop will cover:
- How to set up LinkedIn so that you feel safe and sane - and yourself;
- How to write your Profile without feeling like you’re “selling yourself”;
- When, why and how to update your presence on the site;
- How to “connect” with people on LinkedIn;
- What to do if you are looking for work;
- How to promote your work and organization with heart.

The session includes course materials, a LinkedIn style guide, and access to a career coach. All participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Instructor Bio: Sue Nelson, founder of The Job Search Center has worked with over 4,000 professionals in transition. She is known for her insight, practical tools and step-by-step processes that lead to immediately improved job search results. Her interactive workshops include the typical tools of job searching—resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, and interviewing—as well as emerging practices such as seeing transition as a spiritual journey, enhancing your inner game, reducing resentment and regret from the past, and restoring confidence in the value of your life’s work.

Cost: $120 per participant
*50% scholarships are available for the first 20 participants who register. Scholarships are funded by the Wenk Family Charitable Foundation. Currently, approximately 13 scholarships remain.

*Limited Cleveland State University student scholarships are available. Student Scholarships are funded by the Levin College of Urban’s Affairs’ Women’s Fund.

Instructor: Claire Scott Miller

Course Description: Before we can be a leader of “others”, we first have to be the leader of our “self”. This includes bringing energy to work – fueled by a personal vision of success and an excitement around what’s possible across all aspects of our lives (career, family, health, personal). Juggling multiple work, family, and community roles, women often feel overloaded and overwhelmed. This results in stress (which can lead to burnout), creating barriers to their leadership advancement and career life satisfaction.

The topics for this engaging workshop will focus on:
- Tapping into your “best self”, motivators, & aspirations;
- Knowing patterns of high-achieving women;
- Managing your energy for peak performance across your life;
- Creating your vision for success;
- Thinking strategically – like a leader – throughout different stages of your life.

The session includes course material and access to an executive coach who specializes in training women in leadership. All participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Cost: $120 per participant
*50% scholarships are available for the first 20 participants who register. Scholarships are funded by the Wenk Family Charitable Foundation.

*Limited Cleveland State University student scholarships are available. Student Scholarships are funded by the Levin College of Urban’s Affairs’ Women’s Fund. Registration will open later this fall.

Thank you to the Wenk Family Charitable Foundation for

sponsoring this series!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES HERE

INTERNSHIPS

Meet Dana Buzzelli!

Dana (pictured below with her dog, Ranger) is now a proud graduate of Levin College, and recently completed an internship at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. She is now a full-time Park Guide at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.