TN held a virtual Leadership Fellows Training conducted by Dr. Chavez, CTN CEO, and Dr. Anna Alaniz, CTN Director of Professional Development, on April 28th from 9 to 3 pm. The CTN Leadership Fellows Program is a customized learning experience that enables participants to immerse themselves in the organization’s culture, policies, and decision-making processes to maximize the potential of CTN as an agency of change by maximizing the potential of all the people implementing CTN Programs across the state.

The training began with a pan con café pre-gathering from 8:45 -9 am which was followed by a welcome and an icebreaker. The first session titled Fellows Program Rationale had several objectives which were to learn about the history and purpose of the Leadership Fellows Program; to learn what type of activities a Leadership Fellow can participate in including site visits, seminars, webinars, and other administrative functions; and to learn how to get paid.                    

After a short break, Dr. Anna Alaniz presented the session How to Become a More Effective Leader. One objective was for participants to discuss reasons they chose to become a Leadership Fellow. Another was to understand Why “Leaning In” is essential and they also discussed how mentoring students has a long-lasting impact. This was followed by the session Types of Leadership led by Dr. Chavez. Participants wrote about a leader they admired and shared those with the group. Next, they reviewed leadership styles.

After lunch, the session titled The Role of Not for Profits in Society was presented. It had several objectives: to learn about the impact that not-for-profits have on society; to learn about CTN’s governing body; and to learn about how consulting for a not-for-profit (CTN) opens the door to not-for-profit management and other career options.

In the final session of the day, titled Catch the Next is more than ASCENDER, participants learned about CTN’s purpose as an organization and about CTN programs. They also discussed how they could become an ambassador and transformative leader on behalf of CTN’s purpose as an organization. The training ended with announcements and closing remarks.      

This cohorts Leadership Fellows are Yvette Regalado- CTN Intern; Elissa Gutierrez- San Antonio College; and John Rose, Chuang Shao, Patrick Vasquez, Melinda Andrews, Teresita Ramirez, and Michael Arredondo- all from Dallas College.