SOUTH CENTRAL SERVICE COOPERATIVE

Executives in Residency Program:
Preparing Next Generation Leaders

Wanda Sommers Wall from the South Central Service Cooperative received program acceptance in May and joined with three other administrators from across the United States to begin the Executives in Residence Program in July at the AESA CEO Conference. The Executives in Residence Program was established by Twyla Barnes, ESD 112, Vancouver, WA, and Les Martisko, SCSC, North Mankato, MN, and is sponsored by the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) as a training vehicle to prepare our next generation of CEOs with needed skills. Application to the Executives in Residence Program is required, which includes the endorsement of your employing service cooperative and two letters of recommendation from executive directors within the MRSA area. Prior Minnesota interns include Cliff Carmody, Executive Director of the SW/WC Service Cooperative, who was the first Minnesota intern to gain acceptance into this program.

The program is intended to address the critical need for collaborative and cooperative work among ESAs on a regional and national level. This yearlong performance-based opportunity includes a strong mentor component with CEOs of the council and host organizations which provides access to a variety of leadership experiences while utilizing the cohort model for national networking and communication opportunities. Executive in Residence Program interns meet quarterly to address leadership issues and challenges including governing board meetings, regional superintendent relationships, ESA programs and staff, statewide issues related to the national perspective of ESA roles, emerging opportunities and challenges for their region, and opportunities to observe leaders at work along with the internal and external workings of ESAs.

The 2007–2008 Executives in Residency Program kicked-off in July at the AESA CEO Conference, followed by the September “Call to Action” Legislative Conference, and will bring interns together again in December at the AESA Annual Conference. The residency also requires Wall to attend one or two one-week training sessions at a host agency to work directly with the CEO, as well as conducting virtual meetings with cohort members concurrently throughout the program. The Executives in Residence training is completed in June with the orientation of the next cohort.