A message from Alice Conway, on new and interim leadership for NCCJ St. Louis

A message from Alice Conway, on new and interim leadership for NCCJ St. Louis

Last month at our Board meeting, we voted to have the Executive Committee and HR Committee serve as the Transition Team in the wake of David Martineau's resignation. We have worked closely with Dave to chart a carefully considered course of action to navigate the transition. Yesterday, we met via conference call to consider and take initial steps on a proposal for a three-part transition plan:

1. Shore up the staffing model we have been using to staff the organization to ensure program and operational stability.
2. Select interim leadership from half-dozen candidates put forth by board members, staff members, and community contacts.  
3. Undertake search for new Executive Director once staffing is secured and interim leadership is in place.

With this framework in mind, I am pleased to inform you of the following actions taken by the Executive Committee:

• Effective July 16, Dewitt Campbell will serve as full-time Program Director for NCCJ St. Louis. He has been serving part-time to manage NCCJ’s professional and community programs for the past three years, and he has been providing training for NCCJ since 2001. With this appointment, Dewitt will take on strategic oversight and direction of all NCCJ programs and supervision of all program staff, not only ensuring continuity for our current partners, but also growing NCCJ’s capacity for program service delivery. Dewitt can be reached at dewitt@nccjstl.org.
• In recognition of Ro Kicker’s exemplary coordination and expansion of NCCJ’s youth programs, we have approved a promotion for Ro Kicker to Youth Program Manager, effective October 1, 2018. This position comes with a pay raise that makes this position competitive with peer positions at collateral organizations. Ro can be reached at ro@nccjstl.org.
• Effective July 16, Gregory Donovan will serve as the Interim Director of NCCJ St. Louis. Gregory will step down from NCCJ’s Board of Directors, which he joined in 2015. He has served the past two years a treasurer, a role in which he has been instrumentally involved in the operational and business functions of the organization. This knowledge, combined with his expertise in managing people and teams at Wells Fargo Advisors, facilitates a stable transition for the organization. Gregory can be reached at gregory@nccjstl.org.

I hope you are able to join us this Thursday, 7/19, 5:30-7:30pm at the Contemporary Art Museum to say farewell to Dave and thank him for his service to NCCJ and the St. Louis community, and to meet and congratulate NCCJ's new and transitional leadership. 

With these appointments in place to smooth the transition, we can shift our attention as a Board to undertaking a search for a new Executive Director that will lead NCCJ St. Louis into the future. The transition team will meet in two weeks to lay the foundation for the search. If you have any questions or concerns during this transition process, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at alice.e.conway@monsanto.com.

Announcing David Martineau's Departure as Executive Director of NCCJ St. Louis

An announcement from David Martineau,
Executive Director of NCCJ St. Louis

I’m in my tenth amazing year at NCCJ St. Louis; the last five of them I’ve spent as Executive Director. This period has been a valuable time of learning, partnership, and growth, both for me and for the organization, and I am deeply to the mission of the organization. It is with a mix of emotions that I share with you that I am moving on from NCCJ. 

The decision was not easy; in fact, I was not looking to leave. But opportunity knocked, and I have accepted a new position as the Director of Product Design & Innovation at the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I am excited about the challenges and opportunities that this next chapter of my career will hold, and I am happy that, with this move, my partner, my son, and I will be closer to our family. 

My excitement and happiness are tempered with other feelings. I am sad to say goodbye to the talented Staff and FaciliTrainers who have made working at NCCJ so enriching and rewarding. I am grateful for the faith and support this dedicated Board of Directors has shown me in my role. I am confident in the continued impact of NCCJ’s work with our organizational partners, whose efforts to address inclusion, equity, and social justice are making real differences in their corners of the community. 

I am proud of what we have been able to do together, and I am so honored to have been able to lead this incredible organization. I believe that we have laid a foundation for what is yet to be, and that you will continue the work of transforming St. Louis and the region into a better place for allof us, not just some of us. Thank you. 

A Statement from Alice Conway,
Chair of NCCJ St. Louis's Board of Directors

On behalf of the Board of Directors of NCCJ St. Louis, I am sad to announce David Martineau’s departure as Executive Director, effective August 3, 2018. Since 2009, Dave has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization, and while we will miss him and his inspiring leadership, we wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor.

We want to thank him for the past 10 years of dedicated service, during which he has built a fiscally sound organization that delivers high quality, serious education to the region. His ability to innovate and grow new models of programming, like the Inclusion Institutes, and FaciliTrainer Certification, and to increase our fundraising efforts and community partnerships, means that he is leaving NCCJ St. Louis in a solid place to move into the future.   

As a Board, we are focused on seizing this transition as an opportunity for NCCJ to grow upon this firm foundation. Our first task is to support our staff and partners so that we can continue to bring our programs to the region. We have opened communication with many to ensure stability in carrying out our mission. The next task is to identify and name interim leadership for the organization. Next week, a transition team of the Board will meet to review and consider a number of candidates and proposals, and to decide who will lead NCCJ through the transition. Look for that announcement next week. Once transitional leadership is in place, the Board of NCCJ St. Louis will undertake a search to find a new Executive Director to lead NCCJ. 

Again, we cannot thank Dave enough for the dedication, passion, enthusiasm and motivation he has given NCCJ St. Louis. He will be greatly missed by the staff, Board, members and partners alike. We look forward to following the success of his career, and we are hopeful and excited for the next chapter of NCCJ’s storied history as we continue to support our community in the important work to further inclusion, equity, and social justice.

Anytown Alumni are fundraising for Anytown Scholarships!

The youth in the Aligning and Leveraging Leadership in Youth (ALLY) program are raising money to provide scholarships for 5 students to attend Anytown Youth Leadership Institute - St. Louis. Anytown is a life-changing experience for high school students, and, for many, where pushing back and interrupting systemic oppression begins. Please share widely and donate if you can.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FUNDRAISER PAGE!

@AnytownSTL Spotlight: Will Gilbert III

Last week, we sat down for a quick Q&A with Anytown alum, Will Gilbert III.  Since participating in Anytown as a high school student, Will has continued to stay engaged with NCCJ St. Louis and the work we do.  Will completes our Facilitrainer Certification Program next month and credits Anytown with igniting a passion for social justice.

1. Tell us a little bit about your experience at Anytown.

Anytown was a transformative experience for me. I attended in 2003, after my freshman year of high school. While I had been exposed to other cultures and had friends from varying backgrounds, Anytown was the first time that I had my worldviews actively challenged. It was both an introspective and communal experience. I spent those 8 days outside of Jefferson City looking at my own life, working through how I had become the person that I was. At the same time, I was learning about the lives and experiences of the other delegates and developing a community with them.

2.  Did you have any personal discoveries or learn any new ideas?

I came to a few conclusions. The world is more complicated than I thought. Effort doesn't necessarily beget opportunity or results. The world is a better place because of its rich diversity. And seeking to make it a socially just world became one of my passions. It helped that Anytown gave me tools and a group of people to work with to pursue this goal.

3. How has Anytown impacted the work you are doing now?

My experience at Anytown led directly to me becoming a teacher. At Anytown, I developed leadership skills and an earnest desire for social justice. On Anytown staff, I honed my abilities for facilitation and presentation. And I've applied these things to working in a school. I listen more to my students. I allow them to direct discussion. Above all, my experience at Anytown reminded me that the students I teach are leaders in and of themselves. Their lived experience is what makes our classroom, our school, and our city a more vibrant and productive place. Now I find myself encouraging these same students to look critically at their own life and to develop a sense of community with each other. And I'm asking them to go to Anytown too.

@NCCJSTL Hosts the Brotherhood Sisterhood Awards Next Week

NCCJ St. Louis is excited to announce the honorees for the 72nd Brotherhood Sisterhood Awards, which will be held next week:

• Kira Hudson Banks, PhD, Saint Louis University

• Don Danforth III, City Academy

• Rob Good, Ladue School District

• Karen Kalish, Serial Social Entrepreneur

• Susan Stith, Express Scripts

NCCJ will also present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Kenneth S. Kranzberg, the Chairman at TricorBraun.

The Brotherhood Sisterhood Awards Celebration will be held Tuesday, June 6, 2017, from 6-9 pm at The Caramel Room at Bissinger’s in St. Louis, and is being sponsored by Ameren, Commerce Bank, Emerson, Express Scripts and the Kranzberg Family Foundation. The evening serves as a fundraiser to support the educational programs of NCCJ St. Louis, including its award-winning Anytown Youth Leadership Institute for high school students, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. There is still time to register for the dinner!  Please click here for more information.

@NCCJSTL embarks on a new partnership with @KeepingKids1st

NCCJ St. Louis is bringing its serious education to leaders in children’s mental and behavioral health across St. Louis County. Under a contract with the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund (CSF), NCCJ will tailor its powerful Inclusion Institute curriculum for senior-level management for the organizations that CSF funds. The Inclusion Institute creates an intentional learning community around diversity, inclusion, equity, and cultural competence, and will build leadership to address these things in organizations that touch the lives of children in St. Louis County. 

“CSF is thrilled to embark on this process and recognizes by strengthening our leaders, we strengthen our community. We are looking forward to working with NCCJ and their professional staff in this remarkable leadership opportunity.”

Representatives from selected agencies will begin the process with a 3-day leadership retreat in the fall, and reconvene for planning workshops through the beginning of 2018. The Inclusion Institute process will create a network of leaders focused on inclusion, equity, and cultural competency, and pursuing change in their corner of the children’s services field. 

 

@NCCJSTL Embarks on new partnership with St. Louis County Children's Service Fund

NCCJ St. Louis is bringing its serious education to leaders in children’s mental and behavioral health across St. Louis County. Under a contract with the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund (CSF), NCCJ will tailor its powerful Inclusion Institute curriculum for senior-level management for the organizations that CSF funds. The Inclusion Institute creates an intentional learning community around diversity, inclusion, equity, and cultural competence, and will build leadership to address these things in organizations that touch the lives of children in St. Louis County. 

“CSF is thrilled to embark on this process and recognizes by strengthening our leaders, we strengthen our community. We are looking forward to working with NCCJ and their professional staff in this remarkable leadership opportunity.”

Representatives from selected agencies will begin the process with a 3-day leadership retreat in the fall, and reconvene for planning workshops through the beginning of 2018. The Inclusion Institute process will create a network of leaders focused on inclusion, equity, and cultural competency, and pursuing change in their corner of the children’s services field. 

#NCCJSTL Opens Registration for FTCP 11. Click here to learn more.

Anytown Youth Leadership Institute. Dismantling Racism Institute. Inclusion Institute for Healthcare. For 25 years now, NCCJ St. Louis has brought some of the most powerful and most impactful programs addressing our differences to the region.

In 2011, NCCJ St. Louis added the FaciliTrainer Certification Program (FTCP) to its stable of programs. Working closely with Columbia Public Schools and Washington University School of Medicine, the FTCP was designed to build the capacity to design and deliver powerful educational programming within organizations, assisting leadership in sustaining and expanding their internal inclusion and equity efforts. Completion of the FTCP confers the designation Certified Diversity FaciliTrainer (CDFT). This credential recognizes the intensive preparation candidates’ receive on the theory and practice of social justice education. Cohort 9 will finish their five-month process in June, at a capstone retreat. During this retreat, candidates will demonstrate their skills by delivering workshops of their own design for their peers.

Superintendent of Columbia Public Schools, Peter Stiepleman, is completing Cohort 9. He joins a group of certified CPS educators and administrators in a process that began under his predecessor. In expressing his enthusiasm for the program, Peter stated, “The Columbia Public Schools believes in Achievement, Enrichment, and Opportunity. These are three words that refer to access. Access to a great teacher (Achievement), access to music, art, athletics, etc. (Enrichment), and access to school - think differently about discipline and no more pay-for-play (Opportunity). The ONLY way we will make significant improvements to our district's culture is to invest in equity training. At this point, we have over 40 trainers. They're teachers and leaders who help their colleagues understand how our identities influence how we see the world and how the world sees us.”  Additionally, he noted, “We have seen a significant decrease in out of school suspensions for all student groups and we're beginning to see a willingness to have difficult conversations around race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and ability. We've begun the work and we have so much more to do still!”

When Cohort 9 graduates, they will join a cadre of more than 100 already certified FaciliTrainers, representing local colleges, hospital systems, corporations, nonprofits, and school districts.  Cohort 10 begins in June, and is contracted by SSMHealth to certify 20 people internal FaciliTrainers. Cohort 11 is enrolling for this fall, beginning with the Inclusion Institute opening retreat September 14-16. For more information, read more about on our website, email us at ftcp@nccjstl.org or call us at (314) 432-2525.

FaciliTrainer Spotlight: Doug Char, MD—Read more about how this FTCP Cohort 1 alum has been making change at Wash U Med School

Doug Char participated in Cohort 1 of NCCJ St. Louis's FaciliTrainer Certification Program (FTCP), with a team of colleagues from Washington University’s School of Medicine (WUSM). The past two years, Doug has asked NCCJ to help facilitate first-year medical students in learning about implicit bias in the healthcare setting. When we reached out to see if he needed us this year, Doug shared that he revised the session a bit and is using internal discussion leaders, in order to highlight our non-clinician leaders. He went on to provide the following update to his work on inclusion and equity:

"In large part because of of NCCJ influence, I’ve expanded the diversity & inclusion curricular thread for medical students from 1 session in their first year to 6 sessions of their four years (beyond the diversity retreat that fellow FTCP graduate Dr. Will Ross leads during orientation). Named IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Health Equity and Advocacy), this increases their exposure to this critical content to 12 hours:

• First year, first semester: Challenges of Overcoming Health Disparities: Students tour Pruitt-Igoe site, view the documentary The Myth of Pruitt-Igoe, and engage in facilitated dialogue.
• First year, second semester: Implicit Bias and Social Identities
• Second year: Multicultural Care: working with immigrants
• Third year, first semester: Responding to Barbs and Provocations by Colleagues
• Third year, second semester: Caring for Incendiary Patients (when they behave in racist, sexist, and otherwise intolerant ways)
• Fourth year capstone: Physicians as Patient Advocate: Supporting treatment adherence and serving patients when they can’t afford care or lack access to specialty care.

I am also now working to integrate more inter-professional education with Heather Hageman (also an FTCP graduate) in her new role. Not sure this is what I ever dreamed I’d be doing four years ago, but it’s important work and needed a champion. I owe you and NCCJ big time!"

From the Executive Director

As the tulips begin to open and spring arrives in earnest, the activity at NCCJ St. Louis is picking up from what has already been full throttle. With so much in flux on the local, state, and national region—and so many changes impacting those who are already marginalized in our communities—our work is as vital as ever. The recurring instances of hate and violence based on religion, race, immigration status, and other aspects of identities are creating opportunities for all of us to take a stand, to be an ally, and to advocate for policies that make the world better for all of us, not just some of us.

For us at NCCJ, that has meant a dizzying array of opportunities to engage our fellow community members in serious education on these topics—education that motivates and supports people in making changes in their corner of community that support inclusion and institutionalize policies that embrace equity. In 2016, we reached nearly 2000 people with our workshops, institutes, and dialogues, and 2017 is on track to outpace it.

• We launched Cohort 9 of the FaciliTrainer Certification Program: by the end of the year we will have trained and certified more than 150 people to educate others in their organizations and communities, building capacity to sustain inclusion and equity efforts across the region. Information on Cohorts 10 & 11 will be posted in April.
• We are scheduling two Inclusion Institutes: an Inclusion Institute for Healthcare in partnership with MoHEC (Missouri Health Equities Collaborative) at the Center for Health Policy, and an Inclusion Institute tailored for local leaders in children's mental & behavioral health. 
• And registrations for Anytown Youth Leadership Institute are coming in quickly: we might be celebrating the 25th anniversary of our signature program, but demand for building youth leadership to address the surge in hate and inequity is higher than ever.

We are testing some ways of letting the community know about what we are doing to address the barriers to inclusion and equity in our region, and hope you will follow up on Twitter, Facebook, or sign up for our newsletter at our website. It will take a lot of dedicated people, working within their spheres of influence, to move the needle on these issues. Thank you for being part of it!