Leadership in the making Program aims to strengthen community individuals interested in serving on committees and boards The Herald News April 26, 2006 Jay Pateakos Herald News Staff Reporter DARTMOUTH – After a highly successful initial campaign last year, the second Leadership Southcoast group is set to make an impact on surrounding communities. In conjunction with the Corporate Programs and Partnerships at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the Fall River and New Bedford Area Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Leadership Southcoast program is a nonprofit organization with a mission to strengthen individuals in the community who are interested on serving on committees and boards. Last year's first graduating class included such notables as Scott Costa, co-owner of Bufftree Builders; Kenneth Fiola Jr., executive vice president of the Fall River Office of Economic Development; and Thomas Curry, director of the UMass Dartmouth Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center. One aspect of the program is to encourage emerging leaders from the Southcoast area to join together, through workshops and seminars, to gain a better understanding of the impact of their present and future decisions on southeastern Massachusetts and its future. "One recent excursion the group had was to downtown New Bedford, so they could see the impact of the Zeiterion Theater on the arts in our region," said Leadership Southcoast Executive Director Anthony Vieira. "They also explored non-profit businesses and their impact on our local economy." Vieira said excursions such as these help expose the members to other parts of society that sometimes go unnoticed. This year's members include James Mathes, president of the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce; Mary Costa, vice president of the Bank of Fall River; Nancy Tripp, teacher at Westport Middle School; and Paul Quinn, vice president of St. Anne's Credit Union. Despite his two decades of work as the president of the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, Mathes said the Leadership Southcoast program has already taught him many things. "We met with Human Services organizations and learned how they are meeting the needs of the community and what problems exist in those sectors," said Mathes. "With Catholic Social Services, I knew they were a significant organization, but I truly had no idea how extensive their services were and how many people contribute to make it work." In Tripp's pursuit of an administration position in the Westport School system, Westport Superintendent Linda Galton recommended that Tripp take the Leadership Southcoast course. An English, language and arts teacher at the Westport Middle School, Tripp said the decision paid immediate dividends. "From the outset, I have always been interested in education, but this program has made me learn about many more issues that are effecting the southcoast area," said Tripp. "We don't always have the opportunity to step out and experience what other people are doing to support the region via arts and human services, and this knowledge is something I can now pass on to my students." Selected participants take part in a 10-month program consisting of a two-day retreat and nine monthly full-day sessions that include a series of structured small-group, team-building experiences. "I think what surprised me the most was the breadth and diversity of the people and organizations in the Southcoast," said John Miller, director of operations for the ATMC and graduate of Leadership Southcoast Year 1. "You tend to know your own industry well, but the program exposed us all to so many public and private sectors that gave us a full range of experiences we wouldn't have had." Vieira said that while last year's class was a diverse group, the second-year class surprised him in how fast they were able to bond and network themselves, even outside of the classroom. "Our goal is for them to get involved in the community around them," said Vieira. "We are creating a sustainable group, with short-term and long-term strategies, to make a difference." <=== back a page / back to top