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The Institute for Civic Leadership and the Board Network to Merge
The Institute for Civic Leadership and the Board Network to Merge
Published 03-22-06
Submitted by Institute for Civic Leadership
"Not long ago, decisions in Greater Portland were made by a select few," said Ellen Grant, Executive Director of the Institute for Civic Leadership. "For the last fifteen years, the Institute for Civic Leadership has been building a diverse network of more than 380 leaders and equipping them with collaborative leadership skills. Meanwhile, The Board Network has worked to make Maine's nonprofit boards more effective and responsible. Together, we have an unprecedented opportunity to build and engage Maine's leaders in our community."
"Until now, we have worked successfully but separately at completing the paradigm shift from the old leadership system in our community to a new, more collaborative and inclusive model," said Suzanne Austin, Executive Director of The Board Network. "The merger will allow us to more effectively train, connect and support leaders across all sectors."
By merging, the Institute for Civic Leadership and The Board Network will offer wider access to leadership training and board skills for nonprofit, for-profit and public sectors. With existing and new products under one roof, the Institute for Civic Leadership and The Board Network will facilitate more collaboration and offer leaders more skills and networking resources.
"This is an exciting merger for Maine, and an example for other nonprofits to follow," said Joseph Foley, Senior Vice President at UnumProvident. "In fusing their missions, governance, and operations, the Institute for Civic Leadership and The Board Network will make it easier for leaders to hone their skills and tap into the networks they need. And, it's good for the community to have one strong organization with a clear mission versus two smaller organizations competing for attention and resources. UnumProvident has been actively involved in both organizations in the past, and we look forward to working with the newly merged organization."
The Institute for Civic Leadership and The Board Network will officially merge April 1 and plan to combine their operations in July. The merged organization will be called the Institute for Civic Leadership. Ellen Grant will serve as Executive Director of the combined entity. As Associate Director, Suzanne Austin will guide the board training initiatives of the new organization.
About the Institute for Civic Leadership The Institute for Civic Leadership was founded in 1993 following a study by the UNUM Charitable Foundation, which revealed the need to rejuvenate and rebuild Greater Portland's civic leadership. Since then, more than 380 men and women from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors have benefited from the Institute's seven-month, 15-day Collaborative Leadership Intensive. In addition, the Institute for Civic Leadership offers one, two, and three day public and customized leadership trainings; a Leadership Exploration Breakfast Series; and Consulting Services in collaborative process design and facilitation, leadership and team development, and strategic planning. For more information, please visit www.civicleadership.org.
About The Board Network
The Board Network was founded six years ago to build stronger nonprofit boards of directors in Maine. Since then, it has served nonprofit, business, individual, and philanthropic interests by promoting voluntary leadership in the community. The Board Network has increased the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations through its board matching program and board education workshops. Over 1600 board leaders from across Maine have attended the skills trainings, 90 nonprofit organizations have completed an assessment of board needs, and more than 85 qualified individuals have been trained and matched with nonprofit boards. For more information, please visit www.theboardnetwork.org.
Institute for Civic Leadership
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