“Some feel the rain. Others just get wet.” This Bob Marley quote defined Gregg Barrie’s experience, at the Vail Centre’s Community Leadership Academy. “The course affected me in a profound way and provided me with applicable tools for the journey through life not just my career,” said Gregg Barrie, a Senior Landscape Architect with the Town of Vail who was just one of 20 professionals from various Eagle County Government entities who graduated from the leadership academy on June 21st.
After spending the last 7 months at the Community Leadership Academy other students had similar reactions. Leah Cribari, a Laboratory Supervisor for Eagle River Water and Sanitation District said, “This course demonstrated that your ethics are your personal brand whether you realize it or not. When you look inside and align your work with your values you get more satisfaction out of work and it makes life more meaningful.”
Angelo Fernandez, the Director of Vail Centre’s Leadership Academy, has been developing leaders for over 17 years as a specialist in Human Resources and Organizational Development working for Fortune 500 companies as well as various companies in the Valley. “Defining your core values and putting them into practice everyday helps center an individual and helps them prioritize whether at work or at home,” noted Angelo. “We are all pulled in so many directions every day by family, friends and our jobs, it’s important to step back and truly understand who you are and what your values are. Once you establish what defines your core, you can begin the process of developing the leader that is in all of us.”
The course follows the Inside First Model which is based on the belief that human achievement begins from within and leadership effectiveness is built on personal discovery and experiential learning. This framework employs foundation knowledge, inside reflection and peer collaboration. Meeting once a month over seven months gives each participant an opportunity to think through and put into practice what comes out of each session. The Community Leadership Academy was started in 2015 with 21 participants completing the course. This year, a total of 56 will graduate. For additional information, please visit: www.vailcentre.org or contact the Vail Centre at [email protected].
It’s not necessary to be manager to be a leader, but self directing your career and your life as a leader let’s you feel the rain. Congratulations to the following graduates:
- Jeff Shroll, Town Manager, Town of Gypsum
- Sheryl Staten, Eagle Area Recreation Manager, WECMRD
- Jason Butters, IT Applications Manager, Eagle County School District
- Scott Ruff, Gypsum Area Recreation Manager, WECMRD
- Jennifer Martinez, Assist. Dir. of Exceptional Student Services, Eagle County School District
- Shelley Bellm, Department Admin, Town of Vail, Town of Vail
- Aryn Schlichting, Human Resources/Recruiter, Town of Vail
- Gregg Barrie, Sr. Landscape Architect, Town of Vail
- Laura Waniuk, Special Events, Town of Vail
- Sean Koenig, GIS Specialist, Town of Vail
- Melinda Dow, Protection Caseworker, Eagle County Government
- Amanda Bay, IT Project Manager, Eagle County Government
- Tracy Stowell, Executive Coordinator, Cordillera Metropolitan District
- Louise Reiter, Controller, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District
- Patti Domenico, Accounting Specialist, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District
- Sam Landercasper, Quality Assurance, Eagle County Government
- Taylor Prather, Communications Specialist, Eagle County Government
- Todd Shahan, Chief Technology Officer, Eagle County School District
- Leah Cribari, Laboratory Supervisor, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District
- Angelo Davis, Road Supervisor, Eagle County Government