Voinovich Academy: Building Ohio’s leaders of today and tomorrow

Whether it’s engaging elected officials with custom training or partnering with public entities and nonprofits to develop programs that enhance their workforce, the Voinovich Academy for Excellence in Public Service continues to provide indispensable opportunities to boost leaders in Appalachian communities and beyond.

Entering its 10th year, the academy, a Dublin-based branch of Ohio University's George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, has become a one-stop shop for a range of programs that have bolstered the careers of individuals in the state’s public and nonprofit sectors.

For example, the Academy’s 12-month Ohio Certified Public Manager Program (OCPM), offered in collaboration with Cleveland State University, has won plaudits from participants who pointed to the invaluable insight gained on leadership qualities and other information for public servants.

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Among the long line of public employees who have benefited by obtaining certification through OCPM is Julianne Finnegan, project portfolio manager for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

“I have completed a variety of other leadership certifications, all providing key foundational coursework to becoming a good public leader. However, the topics and instructors Ohio University brought in are unmatched. I always learned something new, even in areas where I would consider myself an expert,” she said.

The Academy follows the mantra of its namesake, who based a lengthy career in public service in part on his belief in the power of public-private partnerships. A quote from the former governor and U.S. Senator that features prominently on its website appropriately sums up its mission: “I believe the government’s highest calling is to empower people and galvanize their energy and resources to help solve our problems, meet our challenges, and seize our opportunities.”

Voinovich Academy Director Jay Johnson echoed those sentiments.

“The bottom line is, our mission is to help build leadership capacity for those in public service. When they finish the training, we want them to walk away with tools they can use in their agencies,” he said. “That’s really valuable. We take a practical application approach that really speaks volumes about our faculty because they are practitioners who work in the field and can really relate those experiences to our participants.”

To that end, the Voinovich Academy has developed a range of training offerings that continue throughout the year. Current programs, for which registration has ended, include: Governing Essentials for Local Elected Officials: The Basic Course; and Leading in Appalachia, a six-workshop program in Athens focused on leading with authenticity and purpose with this year’s theme being Connection and Collaboration.

Later this spring, the Academy will host Strategic Doing practitioner training in Athens focused on Leading Complex Collaborations. Other programs, such as one in partnership with the City of Dublin focusing on leadership development, are also planned for this year.

“We have a multitude of programs going on now,” said Deanna Clifford, senior program manager for the Academy, and those activities continue year-round. A current OCPM cohort is halfway through the program, for example, and another will kick off in the fall.

“We mostly have state employees in that one, but there is a lot of opportunity for local nonprofits and other community-based organizations and even local government folks who could go through a program like that and get a lot out of it,” she said.

Johnson noted those who complete the OCPM program earn a certification that helps participants move forward in their careers. He cited the experience of an Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation official who parlayed completing the program into a promotion.

“It’s very valuable for someone who completes that,” Johnson said. “It really speaks highly of the program. It’s not a layup. You really have to work to complete this.”

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The training cohorts usually range from 25-30 people, Clifford said.

“We usually aim for 30 as the maximum because of the interactive nature of the workshops. With more people than that it makes it a little challenging to give everyone opportunities to ask questions and provide comments,” she said.

Regarding the OCPM program, Clifford noted it also requires the students to work on a group project.

“In addition to the content they’re learning through the workshops, they’re also working together and building those team-building skills,” she said.

Added Johnson, “At the end of the day, they have a network they can share with others and use to reach out to other people they’ve met in the sessions to continue these conversations going forward.”

The director said in some ways the end of a cohort is the beginning for the Academy, as it remains nimble by constantly adjusting programs based on feedback from participants and specific needs of organizations.

“We also want to build partnerships, and that’s done through tailoring these leadership-type programs while also being responsive to needs that come up,” he said. “We start with the end, if you will, and what they want to get out of a particular program that they’re in and we focus in on that.”

The Academy also regularly conducts “in-stride assessments,” based on suggestions from participants.

“We’re not going to change for change’s sake, but if it’s something we can fix, we’ll fix it right there. We don’t limit that creativity to our faculty and workshop instructors,” Johnson said.

The result, Clifford said, is an approach that focuses on people who want to expand their skills and abilities to support their communities.

“That’s true whether it’s in Appalachian Ohio or other parts of the state,” she said. “It’s helping people in public service develop those skills to make them the most effective leaders they can possibly be.”

OCPM participants discuss their experiences in the program

Finnegan, who is also a 2007 OHIO graduate, said the experience of going through the OCPM has dovetailed well with her state-level work with the Department of Job and Family Services.

“I was able to put things into practice and process the real-life applicability of them with trusted peers,” she said. “You don’t often get an environment where you can learn, apply and refine all at once in a safe space to make and talk through mistakes.”

“The instructors were energetic, engaging, and approachable. They designed coursework focused not only on learning key concepts, but with activities created to apply the learning immediately and the opportunity to process those ‘first attempts,’” she added. “I felt the classes are very much designed to ‘get what you want out of them,’ and for someone really looking to learn and grow, that was perfect.”

Finnegan said Clifford and Johnson created “an approachable, psychologically safe space perfectly designed to encourage learning and personal growth through sharing, vulnerability, open and honest discussions, and critical thinking.”

She also cited as especially beneficial the instruction from China Bilotte-Verhoff and Terina Allen.

“While every single instructor brought a wealth of information and opportunity for learning, these two women made a lasting impression for their knowledge, personalities and general approach to teaching,” Finnegan said. “They are enthusiastic, provide ample space for learning and application of skills, and their message really resonated with me not only with where I am in my professional journey, but also how I like to lead.”

Another Leadership Academy participant, Nathalie Bravo Cardozo, a senior business underwriter at the Ohio Department of Development. went through the program with her husband.

“We learned a lot and we loved it,” she said. “It’s a great resource, not just for the work we do but for us personally.”

She cited information on emotional intelligence and other leadership qualities as among “a lot of important information you, as a public servant, you need to learn.”