CHAMBER-SPONSORED INSTITUTE EXAMINES
COOPERATIVE LEADERSHIP IN ELMHURST
ELMHURST, Ill., November 15, 2000 – Participants in the inaugural Elmhurst Leadership Institute, sponsored by the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry and six of its members, gave positive reviews to the five-session educational program examining the cooperative model of leadership in Elmhurst.
Eight participants representing the City of Elmhurst, Elmhurst Park District, Elmhurst College and Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra received “Certificates of Achievement” for successfully completing the Leadership Institute held at Elmhurst College’s North Hall in October.
Institute “graduates” included the city trio of City Engineer Michael Dever, Code Administrator Bruce Dubiel and Wade Jones Jr., Chairman of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners; the park district’s Nancy Fraveletti, Administration Services Manager, and Megan Croy, Recreation Program Manager; the college’s Chris Curse, Director of Programming and Special Events, and Gary Wendel Jr., student; and the orchestra’s Susan Busse, new Executive Director.
“It was very informative and worthwhile from the perspective of how the various agencies worked and operated,” one participant wrote.
“I gained a knowledge of Elmhurst I feel I could not have gained elsewhere,” wrote a second participant.
“I appreciated the opportunity to get some condensed education on how it works in Elmhurst,” a third participant wrote.
Participants attended two-hour workshop sessions held each of the four Wednesday evenings in October, followed by a Saturday morning wrap-up session that featured a guided bus tour of Elmhurst’s municipal facilities, business districts, educational institutions, recreational areas and cultural sites.
Workshop presentations detailed the model of collaborative leadership within government, business, education, health care, arts and recreation, and not-for-profits.
Presenters ranged from Dr. Joel Morris, Superintendent of Elmhurst Public Schools District 205, to Rich Rosenberg, President and CEO of Phototek Corporation/
Elmhurst Camera/Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, from City Manager Tom Borchert to John Quigley, President of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry, from Sheri Scott, Director of Marketing and Communications at Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, to Jim Rogers, the park district’s Director of Recreation.
The Institute was developed by the Chamber’s Leadership Elmhurst Committee co-chaired by Dr. Larry Carroll, the college’s Director of the Center for Professional Excellence and Associate Professor in the Center for Business and Economics, and Rich Grodsky, the park district’s Executive Director.
Joining the Chamber as Institute sponsors are the City of Elmhurst, Elmhurst Economic Development Corporation, Elmhurst Park District, Elmhurst Public Schools District 205, Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare and Elmhurst College.
The Institute received funding support through the Chamber’s 2000 Golf Outing from the following eight Corporate Sponsors: CCS Mortgage; Catalano, Caboor & Co.; Fire Facilities; Firstar Bank; Holiday Inn of Elmhurst; Las Bellas Artes; LMC International; and Maddock Douglas.
Established in 1918, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a voluntary organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic and commercial progress of the community.
The Chamber also serves the needs of its members through services, programs and events that provide opportunities for networking and referral, business education, development and promotion, governmental representation and community involvement.