Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) today announced the participants for this year’s Spring Change Leader Institute, which is taking place April 9-11 in Colorado Springs. The Institute creates a statewide network for creative professionals and community leaders, and supports CCI's goal of enabling cultural and community leaders to work through environmental and organizational change.
Change Leaders who complete the Institute will be more prepared for future challenges and will be better equipped to offer creative solutions in response to social and community needs. This biannual program, consisting of a three-day curriculum, offers an opportunity for professional development and teaches communication skills that can help leaders leverage and facilitate change in our communities.
Highlights of what Change Leaders will learn at the Institute include navigating group dynamics, developing effective negotiation tactics, and building a strong community. Ongoing peer support through social media is an important component of the program.
"The Change Leader training is a great opportunity for individuals to gain leadership skills that can help organizations and communities grow," said Margaret Hunt, director of Colorado Creative Industries. "They also become part of a larger network of people committed to positive change in communities through the arts and creative development."
Selections for the upcoming Institute were based on candidates’ passion and commitment to leadership and community-building through the arts. This class is comprised of leaders from both non-profit and for-profit organizations, as well as artists and entrepreneurs representing geographic locales from around Colorado. Participants include:
Mary Jo Coulehan, Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce, Pagosa Springs
Stuart Handloff, Yampa Valley Performing Arts Council, Steamboat Springs
Amy Lynn Herman, Making Progress / Colorado Maker Hub - Denver Maker Faire, Boulder
Crystal Jacquez, Art District on Santa Fe, Denver
Wael Khalifa, Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade, Denver
Denise Leslie, Southwest Arts Programs, Durango
Dagny McKinley, Steamboat Springs Arts Council, Steamboat Springs
Taylor Tschida, Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, Denver
Claudia Moran-Pichardo, Museo de las Americas, Denver
Keyonne Session, Freelance Theatre Artist, Denver
Anna Lee Vargas, Conejos Clean Water, Antonito
Emily Whalen, Curious Theatre Company, Denver
Interested community leaders may apply online for future Change Leader Institutes. Limited to a group of 12 people at each Institute, candidates not selected for the next program will be on a waiting list for future institutes.