2012-13 NCACC President s Mentoring Initiative Conclusions & Recommendations Adopted by the NCACC Board of Directors on June 21, 2013
Background In August 2012 at his installation, NCACC President Howard Hunter III of Hertford County challenged county commissioners to become better community stewards by utilizing their positions of leadership to mentor others. President Hunter talked about the importance that mentors played in his own life, especially those who encouraged him to seek elected office. He acknowledged how important it is to share in that kind of relationship with others who come behind him. To give organization and focus to his ideas, President Hunter appointed a Mentoring Initiative work group. Consisting of current and former commissioners and county managers interested in mentoring, the work group was tasked with developing strategies for engaging commissioners to serve as mentors at the local level, as well as at the state level through the Association. Mentoring Initiative participants met four times over the course of the year. Participants discussed mentoring relationships in their personal lives, and described why participating in this particular initiative resonated with them. In the discussion, participants talked about the distinctions between mentoring young people, mentoring others in the public professions, and mentoring other commissioners; as public servants, they hold positions of leadership in their communities that can be very powerful if used to mentor others. Additional Reading, Resources & Meeting Summaries The NCACC has established a page on its website dedicated to mentoring that includes suggested reading and various resources on mentoring. The webpage, www.ncacc.org/index.aspx?nid=229, also includes summaries of participant meetings. Participants Chairman Current Commissioners Kevin Austin, Yadkin County Anna Baucom, Anson County Jonathan Barfield, Jr., New Hanover County Gary D. Blevins, Wilkes County Bob Davis, Scotland County Terry Garrison, Vance County 2006-07 NCACC President Brenda Howerton, Durham County Tracey Johnson, Washington County Judy Porter Poe, Ashe County Former Commissioners Mary Accor, Cleveland County 2009-10 NCACC President Moses Carey, Orange County 1993-94 NCACC President County Managers John Crumpton, Lee County Tom Lundy, Catawba County Loria Williams, Hertford County NCACC Staff Liaisons Patrice Roesler, Deputy Director Jason King, Associate Director of Education Conclusions & Recommendations 1
Conclusions and Recommendations Commissioner-to-Commissioner Mentoring A commissioner-to-commissioner mentoring pilot program was discussed as a strategy for achieving the NCACC goal of developing board leadership programs. Creating mentoring relationships between newly elected commissioners and those with more experience is a way to help new commissioners develop their leadership skills, build trusting relationships, and learn from those who are or have been leaders in other counties and/or the Association. Successful mentor/protégé relationships cannot be forced These they must evolve naturally. Mentoring and networking go recommendations hand-in-hand; the Association s role in promoting mentoring should be incorporated relationships should be to provide structure and avenues for into the DNA of the those relationships to form and grow. Mentoring Initiative NCACC. participants stressed the need for experienced Chairman Jonathan commissioners to serve as role models for commissioners Barfield, Jr., New Hanover County who are either newly elected or have not been active members in the Association, particularly with helping them understand the purpose of the Association and why it is important for them to become involved. The NCACC can facilitate personal contact between seasoned commissioners and commissioners that have not been active in the NCACC so that trusting relationships evolve over time. Mentoring Initiative participants developed opportunities to engage the group of first-time attendees at the January-February 2013 Essentials of County Government programs and at the January 2013 NCACC Legislative Goals Conference. The following strategies were successful, and participants recommend that they be continued: Personal phone calls: Current commissioners serving on the work group divided the list of newly elected commissioners regionally, developed a script (see Attachment A) and made phone calls to welcome those new commissioners to the NCACC, and to encourage them to attend the Legislative Goals Conference and one of the Essentials of County Government programs. Newcomer coffee/breakfast socials at NCACC events: Participants hosted this social on the opening morning of the Legislative Goals Conference and the morning of County Assembly Day to bring newly elected commissioners together with experienced commissioners. Initiative participants served as greeters. New commissioners were given special identification ribbons; veteran commissioners were encouraged to seek out the new commissioners and introduce them to others. President Hunter formally welcomed them to the membership of the NCACC. Presentation at Essentials of County Government programs: Mentoring Initiative participants volunteered to speak at each of the four Essentials programs held in January and February 2013, and used this opportunity to explain the Local Elected Leaders Academy. They stressed the importance of continuing to learn more about their roles as elected officials, and emphasized how these opportunities help them continue to build relationships with others. Conclusions & Recommendations 2
In addition to continuing these successful initiatives, participants make the following recommendations: 1. NCACC staff should develop a timeline and punch list of actions to reach out to any newly elected or Once you get people appointed county commissioners to encourage to come, you can t participation in Association steering committees, as keep them away. well as in NCACC and LELA educational events. Anna Baucom, These actions should include a letter of welcome and Anson County special recognition at group events. As part of their responsibilities (see Attachment B), District Directors should take a leading role in personally contacting or coordinating initial contact with newly elected commissioners, and informing the NCACC if there are any commissioners in their district that would benefit from a personal visit or other form of personal contact from an NCACC officer or staff member. 2. The NCACC should provide scholarships for county commissioners to attend LELA Pre- Conference Seminars held in conjunction with the annual conferences of the NCACC and the N.C. League of Municipalities (NCLM). Private donor contributions to the UNC School of Government provide financial support for scholarships for county and municipal elected officials to attend LELA events hosted by the school. These scholarships are not accessible for attendance at the NCACC or NCLM conference events. 3. The NCACC should partner with the UNC School of Government and NCLM to create and implement an advanced leadership academy. The curriculum should be focused on developing personal leadership skills that lead participants into broader elected official roles in the organization, as well as roles at the state or national levels. Participants involvement should include the responsibility to serve as mentors to others who are coming behind, and to model leadership skills and talents that strengthen county government and the Association. 4. The NCACC should consider a development of a LELA program on improving personal networking skills that could enhance one s personal effectiveness in a mentor-protégé relationship. 5. Given the importance of having a united voice representing North Carolina counties in the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, the NCACC should develop a handbook that explains the role of the Association and how county commissioners can become involved in the organization. The Association is a means of unifying the voices of 100 counties, even when political ideologies differ. The booklet should also describe the role of a county commissioner as a leader, and provide information and resources to help them understand what to expect as a public servant. The handbook should be introduced to newly elected commissioners at the Essentials of County Government programs, and used as a guide for the presentation in order to maintain a uniform message to attendees. Conclusions & Recommendations 3
6. The importance of creating peer mentor/protégé relationships should be emphasized at the NCACC 2013 Annual Conference. Two ideas are suggested: o o NCACC Past Presidents could host a discussion group for first-time conference attendees and talk about mentoring relationships that were meaningful to them. They could emphasize the value of the Association in helping form these relationships. Identify commissioners willing to tell their stories about mentoring relationships in their lives; allow them to read personal notes at the beginning or during work sessions and/or show videos of commissioners sharing how a mentor helped touch their lives or encouraged their development as leaders. These videos represent a means of showing the variety of relationships that constitute mentoring. Commissioner-to-Youth Mentoring Since Mary Accor dedicated her presidential initiative to youth leadership development in 2009-10, the Association has been increasingly involved in developing future county leaders. Mentoring Initiative participants recognize that young people need to be better informed about the importance of county government in shaping our state s present and future. The success of the NCACC Youth Summit provides a solid foundation for strengthening relationships with these potential future county leaders. Participants recommend that the NCACC enhance the 2013 Youth Summit by doing the following: Provide additional opportunities for youth delegates and county commissioners to interact before and during the 2013 Annual Conference. Youth Summit delegates this year will be required to (1) attend a Board of Commissioners meeting; and (2) interview a county commissioner or meet with the county manager and tour the county administrative building, talking with as many department heads as possible. Delegates are being required to submit a written, video or multimedia report or scrapbook on this experience. Hertford County Commissioners Johnnie Ray Farmer, Bill Mitchell and Howard Hunter III with Hertford County Youth Delegate Samantha Newsome at the 2012 Annual Conference. We are setting the stage for future generations. We must make sure that those flames are burning even brighter when we step aside and make way for the next round of leaders. NCACC President Howard Hunter III, Hertford County Conclusions & Recommendations 4
Conference sessions will also include speakers who will address the importance of adult-to-youth mentoring. Two speakers are scheduled to address mentoring on Saturday, August 24: Will Allen, farmer and founder of Milwaukeebased Growing Power, Inc., will speak at the Second General Session and will, in part, discuss his nonprofit s success with mentoring young people in his community. A President s Will Allen Dr. Aaron Allen Mentoring Initiative breakfast for youth delegates and county officials will feature Dr. Aaron Allen, Principal at Cleveland County s Burns High School, who will share an inspirational story about how a mentoring relationship helped one of his students soar to new heights. The Association will recruit a select number of county commissioners to participate with youth delegates during their Saturday activity Bottom Line! the county budget simulation game developed by the UNC School of Government. This will be the first time the game has been used with young people, and it will provide an opportunity for the School of Government to pilot its utility as a classroom tool. Opportunities for youth-adult interaction will also be structured at the Friday night Horn O Plenty, as well as before and during the Saturday afternoon Annual Business Session. Non-conference related recommendations include the following: Work with N.C. State University to create a LELA-credentialed seminar for county commissioners on how to mentor young adults. Utilize the NCACC County Ambassadors Program to reach into middle schools. Commissioners should look for ways to model leadership with middle school-aged children. Encourage counties to establish Shadow a Commissioner days for high school juniors and seniors. See the President s Mentoring Initiative webpage, www.ncacc.org/index.aspx?nid=229, for examples of programs. We want to encourage commissioners to go into the classroom more often; we don t know what power we have. Mary Accor, NCACC Past President Encourage counties to create youth advisory councils. The NCACC Youth Involvement Task Force in 2010-11 showcased a number of successful county programs in its Report and Recommendations, which is available online at www.ncacc.org/index.aspx?nid=239. Work with high school principals to identify outstanding mentor/protégé relationships that could be recognized through our awards program. Conclusions & Recommendations 5
Manager-to-Manager Mentoring & Mentoring at County Staff Level Mentoring Initiative participants discussed the importance of encouraging young people to consider county government management as a career. As the baby boomer generation retires, there is an increasing lack of interest in careers in the public sector. Recent graduates from upper level university public administration programs cite waning confidence in public service as a career path, and there is decline in the number of qualified candidates for senior county management positions. To counter these trends and strengthen county government for the future, participants recommend that the NCACC take broad steps to encourage mentoring relationships at the county staff level and should: Continue collaboration with the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) and University of North Carolina system campuses that offer post-graduate degrees in public administration to identify master s level graduates suitable for participating in the NCACC County Management Fellowship Program. The 2013-14 pilot program seeks to place two recent Master of Public Administration program graduates in year-long, salaried fellowships in North Carolina county governments. These graduates must have indicated an interest in a career in North Carolina county management. The NCACC is offering assistance with salary and other potential incentives for county managers willing to provide meaningful mentor relationships and career-building opportunities via the program. 2012-13 ICMA Fellow Haley Kadish with Catawba County Manager Tom Lundy. Mentoring is about giving examples, guiding, providing resources, giving honest feedback and getting good feedback. Tom Lundy, Catawba County Manager Encourage Counties to Adopt Mentoring Programs Mentoring Initiative participants wish to encourage counties to develop initiatives that promote mentoring at any of the three levels discussed in this report (commissioner-to-commissioner, commissioner-to-youth, or county profession-to-profession). As a result of a recommendation made during the year, the NCACC incorporated recognition for such programs in its Excellence in Innovation Awards program, sponsored by the Local Government Federal Credit Union. The awards program s General Government category has been amended to recognize programs that encourage mentoring at the county employee and youth levels. Also in the Excellence in Innovation Awards program, each year one award of $2,000 will be given to an entry that recognizes a new county program or enhancement to a current program that furthers the annual Presidential Initiative. Participants recommend that the award recognizing county mentoring initiatives be presented in 2014, in order to provide sufficient lead time for counties to develop and implement, or enhance, a strategy for promoting mentoring at any level. Conclusions & Recommendations 6
Attachment A SCRIPT FOR INTRODUCTORY PHONE CALLS TO NEWLY ELECTED COMMISSIONERS Hi, this is. I m in my (second, third, etc.) term as a county commissioner in County. I just wanted to give you a call and congratulate you on your election. You may know or not know that there is a North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, of which your county is a member. The NCACC does hold a number of training events across the state, and attending is a good way to learn about issues we all share as county commissioners and meet others who have been in your shoes as a new commissioner. I see you (are/are not) registered to attend the Legislative Goals Conference in Durham (and/or) the Essentials of County Government course in Asheville/New Bern/Winston-Salem/Chapel Hill. I m happy to talk if you just need someone to chat with. My number is. Conclusions & Recommendations 7
Attachment B EXPECTATIONS OF NCACC DISTRICT DIRECTORS There are 18 District Directors seated on the NCACC Board of Directors. These directors are selected by the district member counties at caucuses that take place in conjunction with the Annual Conference. Directors from odd-numbered districts are elected in odd-numbered years; directors from even-numbered districts are selected in even-numbered years. The district map is online at www.ncacc.org/index.aspx?nid=94. The role of district directors includes the following: District Directors serve as conduits of information for the commissioners in their districts; they support the officers, steering committee chairs, and other Board members as stewards of the NCACC. District Directors are responsible for attending meetings of the Board of Directors. The Board normally meets six times per year. Four of these meetings are held in Raleigh. The June meeting is held in the western part of the state; the October Board meeting is held in the Eastern part of the state. District Directors provide information to the Board of Directors about issues and concerns that are relevant to their districts. Each meeting agenda includes an opportunity for members to bring up issues of interest or concern. District Directors should avail themselves of this time to provide any feedback on topics of importance to their counties. District Directors are responsible for hosting any NCACC District Meeting (usually in April) that is held in their district. District Directors are asked to encourage commissioners in each of the counties to send a voting delegate to any Association event that holds a voting session. Each District Director should reach out to (or coordinate an effort to contact) all commissioners in their district and encourage their active engagement in the Association and its programs. The value of this organization rests on its all-inclusiveness and the depth of participation from all members. Steering committees, which are completely open to all who volunteer to join, are a good way for commissioners to become active, to learn about statewide issues, and to participate as an organization member in a meaningful way. A District Director should inform NCACC Outreach Staff if there are commissioners in their district who might benefit from a personal visit or other form of personal contact from an NCACC officer or staff member. In election years, District Directors should reach out to newly elected commissioners with a personal phone call to welcome them to the membership of the NCACC, and to encourage their attendance at an Essentials of County Government program and other Local Elected Leaders Academy offerings, and other NCACC events. NCACC staff provides contact information and a draft script for these brief personal calls, which are intended to establish a one-on-one contact with a peer. This function can be delegated to other commissioners at the discretion of the District Director. Conclusions & Recommendations 8