Building for Tomorrow is hosting a dedicated training program exclusively for new conservation district managers in 2024. 2024 New Manager Training begins in September, starting with Summit PreCon on Tuesday, September 17, and continuing through both days of the 2024 Management Summit on Wednesday, September 18, and Thursday, September 19. The September portion of the training will wrap up with a PostCon meeting on Thursday, September 19, after the Summit program has concluded. The training will continue in October, with a full-day meeting in State College on Wednesday, October 23, focusing on management effectiveness and developing personal leadership skills. The program will conclude with a webinar series in October through December with dates to be determined. Please stay tuned for further announcements.

There is no charge for participation in the New Manager Training events, but registration is required. 2024 New Manager Training group members are eligible for reimbursement of one room night for both the September and October training. Visit Building for Tomorrow for training agenda and registration links, or contact Leadership Development Manager Matt Miller mmiller@pacd.org for more information.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The CliftonStrengths for Conservation Districts Initiative has been extended through April 2025. Thank you to the 300+ who have participated in the initiative so far!

Access codes for the CliftonStrengths online assessment and Top 5 Reports will continue to be available to staff at all districts. Participating managers will continue to have access to CliftonStrengths for Managers, including a Top 10 Report, and access to Gallup portal resources such as the individualized Manager Learning Journey self-guided curriculum and other learning models, articles, and advice. CliftonStrengths team-building workshops are also available for participating districts and are great opportunities for both staff and board development.

Contact LD Manager Matt Miller at mmiller@pacd.org for more information on getting the most out of CliftonStrengths or to schedule a workshop for your district team.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

 

The Tioga County Conservation District (TCCD) held a Legislative Luncheon in Wellsboro, PA, on May 10, 2024. Senator Yaw’s office, Representative Owlett, the Tioga County Commissioners, PACD, the State Conservation Commission, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, and the TCCD Board and staff were all represented.

The district highlighted its accomplishments from 2023, achieved through grant funding, partnerships, and the support of its legislators. The district concluded by looking forward to providing leadership, education, and technical assistance in 2024.

The 2024 Spring Leadership Webinar series will continue to focus on Board Development with a pair of lunch-and-learn webinars on two Wednesdays, May 29, and June 12. These webinars will cover the topics presented at the in-person regional Strategic Board Development Workshops, including SCC guidelines and requirements for both director nomination and approval of nominating organizations, the importance of board development in the district’s success, and the role of intentional outreach in recruitment strategy.

The sessions will also include a review of orientation, training, and development resources. All newly-appointed directors and new associate directors are encouraged to attend. Click here to register. 

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program offered two workshop series for directors and staff this spring.

Sixty-eight attendees representing 31 districts and the PA Department of Environmental Protection participated in the 2024 Regional Director Workshop Series on Strategic Board Development. Attendees discussed strategic aspects of board culture and performance, the processes of director nomination and nominating organization approval, and the importance of intentional outreach for district boards.

Follow-up webinars for those who missed the workshops are scheduled for Wednesdays, May 29 and June 12. They will focus on the development needs of new directors and associate directors. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.

The 2024 Staff Training Initiative included five regional workshops on Emotional Intelligence facilitated by Sarah Colantonio of Lancaster-based Work Wisdom LLC. Attendees discussed aspects of emotional intelligence in the workplace and methods to reduce stress and improve well-being. A total of 95 staff from 30 districts attended the workshops.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The 2024 regional workshop series for staff and directors kicked off last week. Twenty-six staff attended the first Emotional Intelligence: Apps for Wellbeing workshop at the Ramada Conference Center in State College on Tuesday, February 20. Ten directors, managers, and partner staff attended the Strategic Board Development workshop hosted by Clinton County Conservation District on Wednesday, February 21.

There’s still time to register for March workshops; don’t miss out on these training opportunities!

Click here to register for Emotional Intelligence: Apps for Wellbeing.

Click here to register for Strategic Board Development.

In case you missed it:

• The 4th Annual Conservation District Video Awards presentation and links to all the 2023 contest entries are posted to the blog page at Building for Tomorrow. 
• All webinar sessions and supplemental resources for the three-part Understanding Time Management Webinar Series are posted to the webinars page at Building for Tomorrow. 

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The 4^th Annual Conservation District Video Awards were presented on Thursday, February 15. The 1st place CONDIVA trophy for the highest-scoring video of 2023 was awarded to Monroe County Conservation District for Maple Sugaring. Two runner-up entries tied for 2^nd place: Living in Our Waters: The Wonders of Macroinvertebrates, submitted by Beaver County Conservation District, and iMap Invasives Scavenger Hunt, submitted by Pike County Conservation District. Visit Building for Tomorrow for links to the video of the presentation and all the 2023 entries.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

There’s still time to register for the Understanding Time Management Webinar Series. Starting January 31, this three-part webinar series will examine the key principles of time management, tools and systems for managing time, and the psychology of procrastination. 

The 4th Annual Conservation District Video Awards will be presented on Thursday, February 15, from Noon–1:00 p.m. All district personnel and partners are invited to join us at as we celebrate the hard work of staff from across the state and recognize excellence by awarding the coveted CONDIVA trophy. Click here to register. 

Emotional Intelligence: Apps for Wellbeing Workshops are scheduled for all district staff from February 20 through March 27. This interactive workshop includes a presentation and group discussion focusing on techniques and practices to develop and support emotional intelligence in and out of the workplace. The workshop is facilitated by Sarah Colantonio, president and founding partner at Lancaster-based Work Wisdom LLC, and previous facilitator for Building for Tomorrow’s Management Summit and Emerging Leaders Pre-Con workshops. Visit Building for Tomorrow for workshop registration – deadlines are two weeks before the workshop date.

Directors, associate directors, and managers should register for the 2024 Strategic Board Development Workshops, scheduled regionally from February 21 through March 26. Workshop attendees will discuss factors in assessing board readiness for future challenges, understand SCC procedures for the director nomination process and for the approval of Nominating Organizations, and identify opportunities to help build and sustain strategic relationships with nominating and other organizations working to make positive impacts in their communities. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for workshop registration links.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

2024 Staff and Director Training Initiatives are open for registration and include programming for all district personnel and partners.

A three-part webinar series on Understanding Time Management is scheduled for January 31, February 7, and February 14. The series will examine our understanding of time as a resource, strategies, tools for productivity, and the psychology of procrastination.

A workshop titled Emotional Intelligence: Apps for Wellbeing is scheduled at five regional locations in February and March. This half-day interactive training includes a presentation, group discussion, and activities focusing on the fundamentals of emotional intelligence and stress management. Attendees will learn techniques and practices to develop and support emotional intelligence both in and out of the workplace. The workshop will be facilitated by Sarah Colantonio, president and founding partner at Lancaster-based Work Wisdom LLC and previous facilitator for workshops at Building for Tomorrow’s Management Summit and Emerging Leaders Pre-Con.

A workshop on Strategic Board Development is scheduled at six regional host districts in February and March. Strategic Board Development seeks to ensure that district needs are met in the future and present, including assessing board capacity and skill sets, an examination of culture, and a commitment to community outreach. Workshop attendees will discuss factors in assessing board readiness for future challenges, understand SCC procedures for the director nomination process and for the approval of nominating organizations, and identify opportunities to help build and sustain strategic relationships with nominating and other organizations working to make positive impacts in their communities.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

 

Winter 2024 Leadership Development programming includes offerings for all district personnel. This year’s Staff Training Initiative includes regional workshops on emotional intelligence and a webinar series on time management.

Regional Director Training workshops will focus on strategic board development and working with nominating organizations.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.