Bryant Launches Institute for Public Leadership
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bryant University today announced the creation of the Institute for Public Leadership, a resource for in-coming elected officials and those serving their administrations who are about to embark on a new term. “It was something President Machtley wanted to do. Being a former congressman, he has seen other examples elsewhere,” said Tracie Sweeney, Bryant's director of public relations. Machtley served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995, becoming Bryant’s seventh president immediately following in 1996.
Effective Leadership in Challenging Times
“The Bryant Institute for Public Leadership is aimed at providing public officials with the tools and skills needed to help make informed decisions and manage responsive organizations in order to govern effectively,” said Machtley. “Professors and content have been carefully chosen based upon analysis of similar programs around the country and subject matter that is most important for any governing team.” About 25 public servants are expected, including Providence Mayor-elect Angel Taveras and Don Grebien, mayor-elect of Pawtucket, which will take place December 18-19 at Bryant's Smithfield campus.
Proven Leaders to Head Seminars
Elected officials and their transition staff and incoming staff have been invited, said Sweeney, adding that the session will focus on coalition building not only within their constituent communities, but on a broader level. Six faculty members, five of them from Bryant, will lead the participants in seminars that include such topics as leadership, conflict resolution, team-based decision making, the use of power and influence, and economics. Among them is Gary Sasse, who served as executive director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) for three decades, and wasn appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Rhode Island College for the 2010-11 academic year. Sweeney says that the school is optimistic that this will be the first of annual or perhaps bi-annual leadership sessions in the future.
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