April
2002
Leadership
Trenton: Leadership Trenton attracts the city’s cream of
the crop
By
Pamela Sims Jones
The
letter was dated January 29, 2002 and began: "Congratulations!
You have been selected as a Fellow for Leadership Trenton, Class
of 2002… You have every reason to be proud that you will
be part of Leadership Trenton’s 1st class." How exciting
to be accepted into an inaugural program that would focus on Trenton
and the region, and to meet and work with some very interesting
people. So begins the journey.
Leadership
Trenton is a collaboration of Thomas Edison State College, the
John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, and the Leadership
New Jersey Graduate Organization. The board of directors is composed
of Thomas Edison State College and The Partnership for New Jersey.
The main objective of the program is to create a network of civic
leaders who are committed to working together to expand and improve
their civic participation, involvement, and leadership on issues
critical to Trenton and the surrounding region.
The
program curriculum will consist of one seminar per month through
December and each seminar will include a series of discussion,
case studies, and simulations on critical topics such as education,
economic development, race and public policy, the environment,
human services, and health to name a few.
The
thirty-six Fellows attended a recognition dinner on February 27
at Marsilio’s Restaurant. The evening’s agenda included
remarks from James B. Golden, chairperson of the Leadership Trenton
Board of Directors; Dr. George Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison
State College; the Honorable Douglas H. Palmer, mayor of Trenton;
Thomas O’Neill, executive director of The Partnership for
New Jersey; and Nelida Valentin, director of the Center for Leadership
Development at the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy.
Everyone
was attentive and cordial and as the evening wore on; it was obvious
that this is a program to be excited about. The 2002 Leadership
Trenton class is comprised of some dynamic individuals: educators,
entrepreneurs, administrators, community activists, scientists,
law enforcement officers, and city, state and government employees.
We
really got our feet wet on Thursday and Friday, February 28 and
March 1. The two-day retreat was held at Thomas Edison State College
and Ellarslie Museum in Cadwalader Park. On Thursday, after a
pleasant breakfast and introductions, we participated in a nationally
recognized simulation called SIMSOC or simulated society. We were
divided into four groups representing regions: blue, red, yellow
and green. Each regional team was given certain resources (some
more than others) such as money, human capital, and media and
communication information and hardware. Naturally, this disproportionate
distribution of resources created disparity throughout the land
– sound familiar?
Teamwork
was never more evident than during the SIMSOC. Not only did this
daylong exercise test our abilities to communicate, analyze, strategize
and cooperate as teams, but it also heightened our individual
strengths, as we were faced with constant and unpredictable societal
changes. As the teams gathered to discuss the day’s activities
and the end results, we were relieved (that it was over), exhausted,
feeling a sense of accomplishment, and excited.
After
dinner, the teams participated in a Trenton Trivia Bowl, which
became very competitive and funny, and was just what we needed
to end a productive day. Many of us were amazed at the amount
of information some of our fellows knew about Trenton, Mercer
County, and New Jersey!
The
Outdoor Challenge on Friday at Ellarslie Museum in Cadwalader
Park was the best three hours outdoors I’ve spent in a long
time. After breakfast, newly formed teams headed outside to participate
in some very creative and sometimes daunting "challenge"
games. Under the direction of the energetic and skillful Monmouth
County Parks System staff, the same team-building dynamics we
used in the SIMSOC came into play in our outdoor challenge games:
communication, cooperation, team work, and strategy. These exercises
were invigorating and really created another level of bonding
among the fellows.
After
lunch, each team presented a two-minute skit about their outdoor
challenge adventure – reaching another level of teamwork
and creativity in each skit.
We
were honored to have Dr. Pruitt address our class that afternoon.
He shared with us some of his Pruittisms. Two that really summed
up our retreat and our selection as fellows are: "We are
not all alike" and "Leadership is its own reward."
The
March 28 seminar topic is "Orientation to Trenton: Past and
Present." I hope you will visit this column each month to
learn more about Leadership Trenton.
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Pamela
Sims Jones is Deputy Director of the New Jersey Martin Luther
King, Jr. Commemorative Commission at the Department of State.
