Two more efforts to improve leadership skills in the Northeast Kingdom are underway this year.
The Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is hosting a summit Nov. 14 to help residents of the region overcome challenges to leadership development.
And the group has launched a series of dialogues geared toward women and the specific obstacles they face in leadership.
“There’s not one intitiative or program that can solve all the leadership challenges in the region,” said Katherine Sims, director of the nonprofit, “but hopefully together this suite of leadership programs can really move the needle.”
More than 120 people had registered for the summit as of Oct. 17, Sims said, and 48 people applied for 25 spots in the women’s series, which held its first meeting Tuesday.
The new projects follow one rolled out this summer to address the same problems, also supported by the organization.
Each of the efforts stems from a report published last December by the collaborative, which pegged low civic engagement, understaffed organizations, lack of infrastructure and negative perceptions of the region as barriers to developing and retaining leaders and professionals in the Kingdom.
All three initiatives came from the report’s recommendations.
“It’s exciting that some of these are moving from concept to action right now,” Sims said.
The daylong summit at Burke Mountain Hotel will begin with a presentation on the history of development in the region and state, followed by three TED Talk–style speeches from Kingdom leaders about their experiences.
Afternoon workshops will aim to teach fundraising techniques, public-relations strategies and the value of workplace diversity, Sims said.
Participants will also think about how to best engage young people in community projects and support newcomers in areas long dominated by the old guard.
The women-centric initiative seeks to build relationships between women in business and nonprofit work in the Kingdom. The idea is to talk over a meal, Sims said.
“We recognize that women are underrepresented in leadership,” she said. “Our region is also geographically large, (and) sometimes it can feel isolating and lonely.”
Along with networking, participants might discuss creating a regional directory for women in leadership, she said.
Sims said she was stunned by the number of applications the group received. In the future, her group wants to hold another event open to any woman in the region.
Donors and grants funded both initiatives, which are in their inaugural year. Sims said she hopes both become annual events.
People who register for the summit before Nov. 1 can buy tickets for $35, and after that the price goes up to $50. A full list of sponsors can be on the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative’s website.
