Leadership Development Institute
Developed in conjunction with Aquinas College, a local liberal arts college, the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) demonstrates the County's commitment to a well-trained and educated workforce to meet the ever changing and challenging demands of County service delivery. The Institute is a nine-week course during which participants attend class to learn a variety of topics for four hours one night each week. The topics, which are taught mainly by Aquinas College faculty, include presentation skills, business writing skills, meeting management, successful negotiation, project management, organizational dynamics, team building, ethics, leadership approaches, and leadership skills. The Institute was piloted in Fall 1996 with a "class" of 20 participants -- mostly Department/Division Managers solicited by the County Administrator's Office. The Institute is now offered annually in the Fall of each year. Class participants attend a graduation ceremony at the end of nine weeks and are presented with a plaque by the County Administrator.
In the spring of 2000, the Advanced Leadership Series was developed. The series includes four four-hour sessions on specific County-related issues. The session size is limited to 12 participants who are either graduates of LDI or are department directors.
