Community Leadership Institute
by Joseph SantangeloGreat minds have debated for centuries whether leaders are born or made. At the Community Leadership Institute of Cape Cod and the Islands, they certainly are cultivated. Every other Thursday from January to June, roughly 25 up-and-coming leaders from business, government and the nonprofit sector gather at various locations to learn about the needs facing Cape Cod and how to meet those needs. Before graduating, they visit places they might never have seen, such as the county jail. Through team projects, they produce benefits for the community while learning leadership skills such as vision, creative thinking and problem solving.
Well into its second decade, the institute is now receiving nominations and interviewing applicants to determine who would best improve themselves and Cape Cod by completing the 2005 Leadership: Cape Cod program. Seminars in the program focus on issues relating to Cape business, the environment, health care, government, social services, education, legal matters, diversity, media, civic groups and the arts.
"It’s an excellent program, to be exposed to leaders from those specific fields for presentations," said Richard Schwartz, president of Communica Inc. in Bourne, a former board chairman and 1998 CLI alumnus. "It’s a great networking opportunity to meet and hear from leaders in many fields around the Cape and to meet in different location from Provincetown to Woods Hole. It’s really exciting, and everyone has loved every aspect of it."
Carol Sim, president of the Rehabilitation Hospital of Cape Cod and the Islands in Sandwich and a ’97 CLI alumna, recalled, "When I moved here in 1995, it was a way to get to know the Cape community. Who are the movers and shakers and what are the needs? We have a tendency to become myopic, getting to know people in our own line of work. The leadership institute exploded that line of vision to all types of sectors: banks, real estate, other nonprofits, arts, education and other arenas I would not have known if it had not been for CLI. It’s an incredible immersion in all aspects of what makes Cape Cod unique."
Anne Walther Hayes, manager of Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank in Hyannis, CLI class of ’94, added, "What it provides is an opportunity to find out what human resources we have and how to use those resources for our businesses, nonprofit organizations, for building boards and networks. It is an excellent way to get to know the needs of Cape Cod, through the people who are here. The institute affords people the ability to go out and find the areas where they can give something back. It becomes a part of you."
Visible results
The program’s economic benefits are tangible and measurable. In terms of human capital, its 250 graduates create ongoing synergy among business, government and nonprofit sectors to address Cape problems. More than 50 past team projects have produced lasting beneficial effects.
One project started a database of volunteers to assist Cape community groups. That led to the creation of CapeCorps, the volunteer center of Cape Cod that matches volunteers with more than 70 organizations, ranging from the arts to youth development. Other team projects created a teen directory for help on health, drugs and other issues, and a Golden Age book of health-care facilities in large print for the elderly. Another project was the creation of a program on diversity to raise awareness about racial prejudice.
A hands-on team built a covered bus stop for children at Camp Lyndon in Hyannis. At last year’s ceremonies at the Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis, graduates reported on projects including a Cape blanket drive, complete from determining blanket specifications to advertising to collecting and packaging hundreds of blankets for Red Cross emergency shelters.
Past projects have included the creation of a domestic violence task force, a fund-raiser for a homeless shelter, an informational video on marine life, a playscape for children and public relations campaigns for Adult Literacy Awareness and for organ donation.
The original group came together in 1992, after hearing of similar programs in other states. A member of the national Community Leadership Association and affiliated with Cape Cod Community College, the institute is an all-volunteer, self-perpetuating organization. Past graduates comprise the board of directors, organize each biweekly presentation and help produce the next wave of Cape Cod community leaders.
The institute has created a growing pool of trained leaders, experienced in positive community development efforts for the Cape and Islands’ 230,000 year-round residents. The alumni range from educators to social workers to bankers, lawyers and publishers.
Tuition is $500, covering most of the program costs, and additional funds are raised from donations from businesses and individuals.
Applicants are invited to call CLI at the college 508-362-2131, ext. 4483, or visit the Web site at www.clicapecod.org.
Joseph Santangelo Joseph Santangelo has been a statehouse bureau chief, a corporate executive and currently works for the Connecticut Legislature. 
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