Leadership development program offered for nonprofit Executive Directors

Community Development Works, a program of The Rapides Foundation, is accepting applications for Cenla Execbuilders, a leadership development program for new or experienced Executive Directors of local nonprofit organizations. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 1.

Cenla Execbuilders is designed to identify and develop knowledgeable, skilled, committed and action-oriented leaders who will have maximum impact on the communities and constituents they serve in an environment of change and competing priorities. 

The program is free and open to new or experienced Executive Directors and Senior Managers who want to become more effective in their role as leaders of local nonprofit organizations. Participants may choose from two learning tracks: Track I for Executive Directors who are seeking training; and Track II for Executive Directors who are seeking training supplemented with professional coaching support.

Both groups attend an orientation session in March, intensive training from April to June, and peer networking sessions in September and December. Track II participants also receive professional coaching designed to support implementation of the leadership skills from July-September. A graduation ceremony for all Cenla Execbuilders participants is held in October.

Since it began in 2012, Cenla Execbuilders has attracted 38 nonprofit executives who not only graduated from the program, but who continued their learning by forming their own support network to discuss challenging issues and concerns and to share successes. 

Cenla Execbuilders Class of 2015

“Cenla Execbuilders is designed to assist nonprofit executive directors and senior staff by providing leadership development training that helps them perform better in their roles. This is the fifth year of the program and it has been very successful,” said Akeshia Singleton, program officer for CDW at The Rapides Foundation.

“We’ve graduated several people in the community who have then gone on to refer members of their senior staff to the program to help address some of the succession challenges that nonprofits face within the community,” she said. “This type of training is a great retention strategy for nonprofits because it allows executive staff in nonprofits to get professional development opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive for free, and it also allows them to create their own leadership development plans they can follow so they can do well within their careers and professional lives.”

Cenla Execbuilders alumni benefit from the peer-networking component that allows them to link up with other nonprofit community leaders in the area to share ideas and challenges.

Cenla Execbuilders is one of many programs of CDW, which is designed to improve the social environment of Central Louisiana by providing nonprofit management training, leadership programs and access to evidence-based resources focused on developing citizen-led community development efforts that address local issues.

“Through the efforts of CDW, individuals and nonprofit organizations are equipped to respond to the issues and opportunities in their communities,” said Joe Rosier, President and CEO of The Rapides Foundation. “Cenla Execbuilders provides more experienced leaders with the resources they need as they seek to improve their organizations, and ultimately the communities in which they live and serve.”

To participate in the 2016 program of Cenla Execbuilders, call CDW at 318-443-7880 or toll free at 1-800-803-8075, or visit the CDW website.