PREPARING NONPROFIT LEADERS: AN AMERICAN HUMANICS NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2004 Volume 3, Number 1

PROGRAM RETURNS WITH HONORS FROM NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The American Humanics Program at California State University, Fresno returned with three honors from the 32nd Annual American Humanics Management Institute (AHMI) held in Kansas City, Missouri, January 2-4, 2004. The theme for this year’s Institute was “Leadership for Our Changing Communities.” Fourteen AH students from Fresno State were among the 800 participants from 75 colleges and universities attending AHMI 2004, participating in workshops, a National Collegiate Dialogue with the American Assembly, a simulation exercise, and a career fair. The Institute, a three-day intensive conference on the nonprofit sector, is the “capstone” experience of the AH Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.

Dr. Matthew Jendian, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of the AH Program at California State University, Fresno, served as a facilitator for the simulation/case study at the Institute. Dr. John Welty, President of California State University, Fresno, presided as Chair of the Board of Directors for AH, Inc.

One of the three specific honors brought back to Fresno was the selection of a Fresno State AH student Roberto Vaca (Sr., Psychology) as a member of the 2005 AH Management Institute Advisory Council. Only six talented students nationwide were chosen to be on this council to assist with the planning and implementation of next year’s Institute which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, January 5-8, 2005.

At the closing banquet, six AH Student Association (AHSA) awards were presented by Dr. Barbara Keener, AH, Inc. Vice President for Academic Partnerships. Our AHSA from California State University, Fresno received the “Excellence in Community Service Award” for the second consecutive year. The main criteria for this honor are the number of hours of community service per student and the effectiveness and impact of the service.

During the 2002-2003 academic year, our AH students contributed over 7,220 volunteer hours dedicated to building better communities in the Central Valley of California. The students were involved with several nonprofit organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Central CA Consortium, Centro La Familia, Community Food Bank, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Marjaree Mason Center, Poverello House, Stone Soup, The Relational Culture Institute, and United Way, through community service projects, including individual internships, AHSA group service, and individual community service. These forms of community service provide the students the opportunity to learn management and leadership skills to build and improve a nonprofit agency so that it can more effectively meet the needs of the individuals and communities served.

Students participated in a National Collegiate Dialogue on “Strengthening America’s Families” and an intensive simulation exercise based on case study involving a merger between two nonprofit organizations. This latter exercise challenged students to apply the skills and competencies they have developed while in the AH program. Each of the 65 teams of 10 students was given four hours to devise a merger plan to be presented to the United Way. The students assigned each other roles in the organization, conducted S.W.O.T analyses, and crafted a presentation delivered to AH Campus Directors. Although only two students per team were allowed to present, nearly half of our 14 students from Fresno State took initiative and presented. One, Mova Verde, was on one of the four teams selected overall for most outstanding plan and presentation. AHMI 2004 proved to be a very successful and rewarding experience!

SUPPORT THE AMERICAN HUMANICS STUDENT ASSOCIATION!

The American Humanics Student Association (AHSA) is raising funds to help defray costs associated with attending the January 2005 AH Management Institute in Atlanta.

Please consider supporting our students by sending your tax deductible donation to AHSA at Fresno State, 5340 N. Campus Dr., M/S SS107, Fresno, CA 93740-8019.

AHSA SERVICE PROJECT AT COMMUNITY FOOD BANK

Part of our commitment as students in the American Humanics Program at Fresno State is to serve our community as a group. On September 20, 2003, a team of eight AH students (pictured above)—Dawn Murphy (SWrk), Roberto Vaca (Psych/CLS), Sofia Fellez-Huerta (Psych), Steven Jackson (Psych-Alumnus), Laura Rodriguez (HealthSci), Wortham Briscoe (Acctg), Karen Terrill (Eng), and Koua Cha (Chem/PubAdmin)—partnered with the staff and volunteers of Community Food Bank in downtown Fresno to sort and pack food for distribution to local food pantries. It was a great opportunity for us to learn how a local nonprofit organization responds to a recognized community need as well as connect with one another in the context of service. Each of the different tasks we worked on together provided us an opportunity to reflect on and affirm our basic and primary role as leaders: to serve.

COMMUNITY LEADERS SHARE WITH AH STUDENTS

The American Humanics Student Association (AHSA) has had a number of community leaders present to the group during this fall semester, many as part of its annual Speakers’ Bureau. The speakers included:

Norm Gustafson, Board Member, Fresno Volunteer Center, (9/13)

Joe Martinez, Outreach Coordinator, EOC Sanctuary (9/13)

Harutyun Aleksanyan, President, Elegia (a cultural organization in Armenia) (9/14)

Timothy Kubal, Assistant Professor of Sociology, California State University, Fresno (9/14)

Nathan Fast, San Joaquin Valley Organizing Project (9/14)

Kathleen Mancebo, Executive Director, Fresno Area Nonprofit Council (9/16)

Larry Gray, Administrator, Craycroft Youth Center (9/16)

Coke Hallowell, President, Board of Directors, San Joaquin River Parkway Trust (9/23)

Joseph Perry, Executive Director, Boys2Men Girls2Women Foundation (10/7)

Trisha Studt, Community Partnerships Coordinator, Students for Community Service (10/14)

John Houseman, Development Director, College of Math and Science, Fresno State (10/18)

Tambra Bane, Senior Campaign Manager, Leukemia-Lymphoma Society (10/21)

Sue Fenske, Executive Director, Community Food Bank

Keith Kelly, Executive Director, Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development (11/4)

Lynne Glaser, former editor/ombudsman (Fresno Bee), Social Science Advisory Council Member (11/7-8)

Shirley Armbruster, Director of News Services, CSUF

Doug Hoagland, Metro reporter, The Fresno Bee (11/8)

Gerre Brenneman, Ex. Dir., Evangel Home (11/8)

Lucy Ruiz, Dir., Community Affairs, KGPE Ch. 47

Rico Aguayo, Exec. Management Services, (11/18)

Katie Jerkovich, American Red Cross (12/9)

A special THANK YOU to all of those community leaders who gave of their time to share with our future community leaders!

Community Leaders

AHSA Retreat

Other Service Projects

Recognition Event

Outstanding Leadership Award

Individual Awards (Koua and Ellen)

Alumni Association

Faith In Community

About

Preparing Nonprofit Leaders is published by the American Humanics (AH) Program and the AH Student Association at California State University, Fresno to inform faculty, staff, students, and the community of student achievements in the area of community leadership, announce opportunities for professional development in the area of nonprofit management and leadership, and foster interest and support for the AH Program.

2004 Advisory Council

President

Dr. John D. Welty

Provost & Vice President

for Academic Affairs

Dr. Jeronima Echeverria

Dean of the College of

Social Sciences

Dr. Luz Gonzalez

Chair of the Department of Sociology

Dr. Beth Hartung

AH Program Director

Dr. Matthew A. Jendian

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Phone: 559-278-2891

Fax: 559-278-4598

matthewj@csufresno.edu

http://socsci.csufresno.edu/

department_pages/humanics.htm

AH Program Assistants

Ms. Janice Brown

Ms. Ruth Obel-Jorgensen

Lynne Ashbeck (Chair)

Continuing Education; Mayor of Clovis

Tambra Bane

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Janice Brown (Secretary)

AH Alumna

Dr. John Crossley / Dr. Nancy White

Recreation Admin. Leisure Studies

Paul DeRuosi / Aleta Wolfe

Community Service Scholarship Prog.

Joseph Dominguez

United Way of Fresno County

Dr. Jeri Echeverria

Associate Provost

Chris Fiorentino

Students for Community Service

Dr. Dan Griffin

Grants & Research

Dr. Donna Hardina

Social Work Education

Ashley Howard

One by One Leadership

Vera Kennedy

Kennedy Consulting

Mark Keppler

The Maddy Institute

Lionel Lopez, Jr.

AHSA President

Terry Maldonado

Fresno Pacific University

Joan Minasian

Assoc. of Fundraising Professionals

Dr. Elizabeth Nelson

Sociology

Joseph Perry

Boys2MenGirls2Women

Michael Purtell

Poverello House

Tim F. Reese

Community Food Bank

Dr. Jackie Ryle (Vice Chair)

Ryle Empowerment Strategies

Dr. Shari Willis

Rehabilitation Counseling

Debbie Young

Craig School of Business

Carolyn Zutler

Fresno Area Nonprofit Council