Rhode Island Non-Profit of the Year 2014
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Leadership. It's been a major theme of 2014, from campaigns to community needs. With Rhode Island consistently ranked at the bottom of business and economic rankings, discussions center around how leaders can pull the state out of its current position move it forward.
Now in its 33rd year, LeadershipRI continues to both train future leaders, and have an impact on a wide range of Rhode Islanders. Just who has come out of the leadership training program in the state?
Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Steven O'Donnell. NAACP Providence Branch Executive Director Jim Vincent, and newly elected Pawtucket City Council member Sandra Cano -- both of whom were recognized in GoLocal's "14 Who Made a Difference in RI in 2014." Melba Depena, who will be the new Department of Human Services Director under Governor Raimondo. Central Falls Mayor James Diossa. And that's just to name a few.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis year's class includes future leaders from the ranks of Rhode Island colleges (Brown University, Providence College, Johnson and Wales University, Roger Williams University, URI,), the state's top companies (CVS, Amica, Fidelity, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI, Hasbro, North American Industries), and as well as non-profits (Meeting Street, Children's Friend, Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket, Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence).
In addition, the College Leadership Rhode Island Program, modeled after Leadership RI's Core Program for career and business leaders, strives to inspire, educate, and engage its students as they begin to make the transition from college to career.
Community Impact
Twenty years after Rhode Island was featured on a national ABC segment for its role as being the "most corrupt state in the country," GoLocal caught up with Mike Ritz, Executive Director of LeadershipRI (and one of GoLocal's "12 Who Made a Difference in 2012"), about addressing issues of ethics - and corruption -- in the program.
"In 2010 we brought everyone in the class in one by one, and asked what are the perceived weaknesses of the state, and strengths," Ritz told GoLocal this past August. "What was striking, the "strengths" were all varied, and diverse -- quality of life was one, for example. However, "perceived weaknesses" was the same -- corruption. It surprised me, I thought there would be others, such as unemployment, but corruption was almost unanimous."
"We know there are greedy selfish people looking out for their best interests when they harm other people," said Ritz. "If we had solid system with checks and balances that were effective, bad people would struggle to be bad people. Systemic efforts need to be put into place."
Ritz noted the most recent LeadershipRI class voted to hold a mock Constitutional Convention, which was on the ballot for real in Rhode Island this November, for voters to decide whether or not to hold one.
"One major point to make is that [the class] could have put anything under the sun at their top priority in the mock convention, but their highest priory was ethics reform," said Ritz. "If I'm not mistaken, they voted to have the bill passed. And the General Assembly, meanwhile, did nothing this year."
While the Constitutional Convention failed to garner voter approval, Ritz remained bullish about the impact of Leadership RI alumni on the future of the state.
"It really is a factor, trying to put a positive slant on things," said Ritz. "It's important that people feel like they can make a change, and they're in fact obligated to. That's the message I tell LeadershipRI alumni all the time -- don't just point fingers."
"When they complain about the "leadership" in the state, I say to them, you are the leadership," said Ritz.
And LeadershipRI supports even the future leaders of the state -- it's hosted the incredibly popular "Central Falls Chess Invitational," where business leaders and politicians have squared off against the students, who boast national top ten finishes.
"Last year's invitational with Rhode Island CEOs was a great mix of fundraising and demonstrations to our top business leaders the impact this game and these amazing coaches are having in a community," said host committee member Mike Ritz in February. "Monday's invitational [is] another confidence builder for these kids as they show-off their strategic skills to public sector leadership, our elected and want-to-be elected officials."
Related Slideshow: 15 to Watch in RI in 2015
Take a look at the 15 for 2015.
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