Piper Newsletter, May 2006
Piper Fellows Program Offers Professional Development, Growth, Renewal
When nonprofit leaders hear about The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Piper Fellows program, their immediate enthusiasm for the leadership development opportunity is
frequently tempered as they comment, “That’s really great,
but I can’t be away from my organization that long.” The
message from the 13 former and five current Piper Fellows:
Just Do It!
“I think one of people’s biggest concerns is their agency getting along without them,” says Linda Searfoss, former executive director of Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters and a 2001 Piper Fellow. “We have all found that not only did they do well in our absence, but it allowed for leadership growth within the agency staff.”
Her sentiments echo the other Piper Fellows, several of whom shared their experiences with other nonprofit leaders at a Piper Fellows Community Workshop in June 2006.
Here, several leaders reflect on their fellowship experiences and respond to some of the most-asked questions and concerns about being a Piper Fellow.
Q: What has been the biggest benefit of the experience for you as a leader?
Pamela Martin, president/executive director of Homeward Bound, 2003 Piper Fellow:
“It is an opportunity to experience training and education on a level most usually reserved for for-profit
leaders.”
Ken Schutz, the Dr. William Huizingh executive director of the Desert Botanical Garden, 2003 Piper Fellow:
“The chance to step back and look at the big picture for an extended period of time. Before the fellowship, I thought I could do that (step back) for three or four hours at a time. But when I really got away, the ability for me to see the big picture was greatly enhanced.”
Chevy Humphrey, president and CEO of the Arizona Science Center, 2001 Piper Fellow:
“Taking the time for clarity. After my fellowship, I was more focused on my personal and professional goals and was able to create a clear and strategic roadmap for myself, which in turn benefited the institution.”
Q: What has been the biggest benefit for your organization?
Robin Dunn Marcos, regional director-Arizona of the International Rescue Committee, 2004 Piper Fellow:
“Increased understanding of the global perspective and how we can make a difference on the local level. The accompanying [staff] professional development funding is also a major benefit. Staff has really appreciated the opportunity to utilize this funding.”
Pamela Martin:
“I returned with a new sense of who I am as a leader, where I needed to take the organization and how we would get there.”
Katrina Mueller, general manager of the Chandler Center for the Arts, 2004 Piper Fellow:
“Improved internal communications and staff development activities made possible by the matching grant for staff development.”
Q: Did your Fellowship experience match or differ from your expectations?
Chevy Humphrey:
“It met more than my expectations. I still refer back to my journal today. I thought I knew what I was going to learn and get out of my sabbatical and I had everything planned, but I experienced things I never anticipated and couldn't have planned for.”
Katrina Mueller:
“It significantly exceeded my expectations. I picked up invaluable listening and communication skills … I learned some powerful strategies for managing organizational change and employee development. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the Fellowship experience.”
Laura Larson-Huffaker, executive director at EMPACT-SPC, 2004 Piper Fellow:
“It exceeded my expectations. I certainly did learn a lot from the
materials and instruction at Wharton, but there were hidden benefits I didn’t expect. I was immersed in learning with a diverse group of company leaders from around the world and from huge for-profit organizations. I didn’t realize how much value I would get from the day-to-day discussions with them. I also was pleasantly surprised by the value of the ‘sabbatical’ part of the experience. Being away from my agency for two months, away from my pager and work emails and completely focused on my own growth, gave me a different perspective on things when I returned to work. I became a much more balanced person, more able to step back away from issues and view from a broader perspective.”
Q: What was the biggest challenge for you? How did you overcome it?
Ken Schutz:
"Cutting the cord and being away from the Garden for so long. The organization did fine without me! It was both humbling and liberating. Our senior staff and the Trustee who was acting director while I was away didn’t miss a beat, and the garden kept moving forward while I was gone. It was easy to step back in when I got back.”
Laura Larson-Huffaker:
“The people who took on my responsibilities for two months grew in their own way from the experience. I think it helped them become better leaders and broadened their knowledge base.”
Robin Dunn Marcos:
“As a single parent of two very active pre-teens and guardian of several critters, organizing my personal life was absolutely the biggest challenge. I overcame it with a lot of schedules, calendars, directions, notarized statements, and a lot of support from family and friends.”