As a part of our three-year strategic plan, Chicago Commons identified several key levers to achieve our strategic priorities. One of these was ensuring access to training and professional development to strengthen and retain staff. As such, we developed the Chicago Commons Leadership Academy (CCLA). This accelerated four-month program focuses on personal and team leadership capabilities. This accelerated cohort of highly-motivated leaders graduated in February. The cohort is the first of many, and we look forward to offering the CCLA to staff every year in the future.

Goals of the program included:

– Reviewing different leadership styles and their impact on others and effectiveness
– Developing an understanding of the importance of influencing others to achieve results
– Learning different coaching approaches to motivate others
– Reviewing strategies on the importance of selecting the right people and how to build a team
– Learning the importance of thinking more strategically about the overall organization
– Fostering and creating a culture of accountability
– What is required to assess and improve performance of the team you manage

Congratulations to our CCLA 2019-2020 graduates:

– Maria Bahena
– Kim Cothran
– Gloria Fernandez
– Catrina Jackson
– Kaelin Long
– Lace McCall
– Jesus Oviedo
– Marilyn Rodriguez
– Sharon Shelton
– Ebony Westbrooks
– Eric Woods