Participants Build on Leadership Qualities
Photo provided by CCA Dept. of Strategic Communications
This summer the Aurora Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Leaders (EL) program graduated its first cohort of 21 leaders. The cohort included five leaders from the Community College of Aurora (CCA) including Courtney Butler (Project and Operations Manager), Eduardo Peralta (Director of IT), Nnena West (Director of TRIO Programs), Nicole Banks (Director of Concurrent Enrollment), and Hyekyung Lee (Director of Institutional Research).
“The Emerging Leaders program was interactive, fun, and a blessing,” Butler said. “The folks who developed the curriculum and workshops really poured their hearts into this program and it showed!”
The Emerging Leaders program is a leadership training initiative developed for mid to senior level leaders looking to develop deeper leadership acumen. Program participants participated in a one-day
orientation in January and full-day sessions which spanned for several months. These sessions covered training and practical experiences in personal leadership development, as well as team, interpersonal relations, and community relationship building.
Leadership development is essential for anyone doing work in increased organizational and community leadership roles. The emphasis on leadership qualities, traits, and skills, along with emotional intelligence, ethical behavior, organizational communication, and conflict resolution were all covered over the course of the program.
EL’s first cohort was able to walk away from the program with a better understanding of their leadership qualities. “I discovered my personal style, key strengths, and possible blind spots,” Peralta said. “The facilitators and my peers gave me suggestions for development and I really valued their input,” added Nicole Banks.
Butler, Peralta, West, Banks, and Lee are a few individuals that make up the strong community here at CCA. Prospective students can begin the enrollment process today at the Community College of Aurora.