Honoring Outstanding Leadership

(From Neighborhood Leader, Summer 2009 issue)

Dear Neighbor,

The graduation of the 25th class of Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland was a memorable event. I hope you were among the many graduates and supporters of the program who joined us for the celebration.

To mark the occasion, we presented awards to several longtime friends and partners of NLI. The awards were designed by two talented local artists, Kolé Robinson (Class 22) and Craig Sullivan (Class 24).

We honored the City of Cleveland Department of Parks and Recreation with the Community Partnership Award. NLI currently works with the Department of Parks and Recreation on a number of programs, including a youth leadership program, a summer tennis program, and the Schools as Neighborhood Resources (SNR) program.

Markietta Stevenson (Class 11) received the Outstanding Alumna of the Year Award. For the past several years Markietta has headed the Screening and Recruitment Committee for Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland.

The John Cox Award is named after a founding trustee of the Neighborhood Leadership Institute who passed away in December 2007.

In a moving tribute filled with humorous and poignant stories, Jim Cox described his twin brother as "the most selfless, charitable man I’ve ever known."

John Cox (Class 9) exemplified the engaged citizenship that NLI works to promote. So do the two people we selected to share the first John Cox Award.

Rollie Smith and Dr. Maggie Jackson played key roles in the creation of Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland, Rollie as executive director of the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association and Maggie as president of the board of trustees.

NLC's focus on grassroots leaders and the program's partnership with Cleveland State University were a direct result of the leadership and vision provided by Maggie and Rollie.

If you believe the old saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then you could say that Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland itself also received an award on graduation night.

Over the past few years, Jacquie Gillon and I have assisted the United Way of Summit County in the creation of a grassroots leadership program similar to Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland.

On the same night that Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland graduated its 25th class, the Neighborhood Leadership Institute of Summit County graduated its first.

Back in the early 1990s, a handful of us sat in the basement of the Neighborhood Centers Association and allowed ourselves to dream about a leadership training program for ordinary citizens. Now, more than 15 years and 750 graduates later, we have exceeded our dreams.

Yes, we have more work to do, but we also have a lot to celebrate.

Warmest regards,

Don