Maddy Institute hosts workshop

By Mark Keppler
The Maddy Institute

On March 24, more than 50 community leaders attended a Maddy Institute workshop on community collaboration sponsored by the Cal Dooley Leadership Fund.  The workshop, entitled “'How Then Shall We Collaborate,” focused on providing governmental and civic leaders with new insights and new tools to increase the community collaboration and bi-partisan political leadership.

The workshop was led by David Womeldorff and Donna Zajonc.  Womeldorff’s prior experience includes work as a senior development consultant for Bank One, as well as leadership training with the Darden School of Management at the University of Virginia and the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Zajonc is a three-time legislator from Oregon, a past president of the National Franchise Advisory Board and the author of  “The Politics of Hope.”  Among the topics they discussed were:

• Evolving from Heroic to Collaborative Leadership
• The Four Stages of Political Evolution
• The Four Faces of Public Discourse
• The Emergence of the MetaCitizen
• Collective Leadership for Civic Engagement

According to Zajonc, “The Maddy Institute knows we cannot wait for a new generation of political leaders to transform our broken partisan political system.  Indeed, the success of American democracy depends on the transformation of our current political leaders who will transcend the current partisan divide and discover new ways of working together it.

“We were honored,” Zajonc noted, “to lead one of the Maddy Institute’s first seminars that will help accelerate these new models of political leadership.”

Workshop organizer Debilyn Molineaux stated, "The Seven Agreements for Accelerating Collaboration provide a new starting point in conversations that were formerly at an impasse...while it was something that Senator Maddy knew instinctively, many of us need to learn and practice it."

Zajonc was also the featured speaker at the Lyles Center’s New Valley InForum lecture series on the evening of March 23.  The New Valley InForum lecture series, begun this year, has brought several innovative speakers to Fresno in the area of business, education and public policy.

Maddy Institute’s Executive Director, Mark Keppler, explained that this workshop was intended to “…help the community respond to the unique challenges resulting from the tremendous change occurring in our region.”

“We believe,” Keppler continued, “in  fostering collaboration between the governmental, business, civic and non-profit organizations in our region.”  Molineaux observed that “following the workshop, the participants were buzzing with new ideas for collaboration.  Thanks to the Maddy Institute for sponsoring this forum for community leaders and active citizens."

The workshop was underwritten by the newly established “Cal Dooley Leadership Fund” at the Maddy Institute, which was established in December 2004 and is dedicated to supporting, training, developing and encouraging leaders who will serve the public in the ethical, bi-partisan, respectful style of Cal Dooley and Ken Maddy.

“We are very pleased that, working in collaboration with our community partners, The Cal Dooley Leadership Fund will have such a significant impact on our region so quickly,” Keppler said.

The Maddy Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity established by the California Legislature in 1999 to honor the life and work of Ken Maddy by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders.  The Maddy Institute’s mission recognizes that for the Valley to meet the challenges we face, our leaders must be able to set aside partisan differences and work together.