For five days in June and part of July, the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council hosted a group of twenty-two visitors who were in the United States as participants on an International Visitor Leadership Program which examined non-governmental organization management. The group began their visit at Bands on the Beach with several members of the Young Professionals group and GCCDC President Karen Jurkowich and ended their time with a relaxing dolphin cruise on Pensacola Bay. In between these cultural activities they focused on strategies for building and maintaining a strong leadership and board, volunteer recruitment and retention, and management synthesis.
The professional program opened with an orientation to the city given by Councilman Sherri Myers. After the discussion, the visitors received certificates of honorary citizenship with the City of Pensacola. The excited honorary citizens eagerly began their program.
On the topic of management synthesis, the group met with Habitat for Humanity Director of Volunteer Services, Melanie Jacobi, and Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Thomas. Discussing the wide network of volunteer partners, including businesses, school groups, at-risk youth, and military personnel, set the theme for the visitors.
Closing in on the topic, the group met with Manna Food Pantry Outreach Manager JoAnn Howansky to discuss the close-knit relationships with volunteers which organizations need to further their missions. The visit also provided a great hands-on volunteer activity for the group.
Another central topic of the NGO program was management synthesis. A discussion with CEO Andrea Krieger and Marketing Brand Specialist Naomi Kjer focused on the management of a strong board of directors from an executive director’s perspective.
A discussion with the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival organizers additionally expanded on the management synthesis theme. President Eilleen Perrigo, Vice President Buck Mitchell, and Secretary Claudine Kriss lead a discussion on strategies for managing a large organizational event including planning, volunteer organization, fundraising, publicity, and generating community support.
The last major theme of the visit was building and maintaining a strong leadership and board. GCCDC Board Chair Karen Jurkowich lead a discussion emphasizing the importance of building and maintaining a strong leadership and board for the success of an NGO.
Lastly, Associate Professor at the University of West Florida Dr. Gayle Baugh lead a synthesis session for the group which gave them time to reflect on their national project and to generate action plans for implementing their new strategies and experiences in their home communities.
The program was made possible with the collaboration of the community. Thank you to everyone who played a role and contributed their time and shared their expertise with our international visitors.
