vernonia’s
voice
health & wellness
june
2007
15
Second Ford Family Leadership Class Graduates
By Scott Laird
Twenty-seven Vernonia area residents graduated
from the second Ford Institute Leadership Pro-
gram (FILP) on May 12. The class participants
were nominated by a committee of community
members, and were chosen based on previous
community involvement and leadership potential.
The class included six high school students, and
was held at the Vernonia Community Learning
Center (VCLC).
will be an educational extension of the Learning
Center, featuring a rustic theme with elements of
timber history and a focus on native plants. The
group has begun fund raising with a yard work
raffle and a quilt raffle, and has other fund rais-
ers planned. The Ford Family Foundation (FFF),
sponsors of the program, grant the project $5,000
to assist with the completion of the project, while
asking for matching funds from the group.
The training took place over four weekends
throughout the spring of 2007. Participants
learned about personality types and how they af-
fect the way people work in groups through the
Myers-Briggs test. Other highlights were: dealing
with change, decision-making tools, meeting struc-
tures, effective communication, conflict resolution
and project planning. “I will be more involved and
aware of my chance to make a difference,” said
graduate Jack Lindsley. “I think our community
will become more alive and involved,” noted Ver-
nonia High School student Celia Gendron.
The class was lead by Vernita Ediger, a profes-
sional trainer from Rural Development Initiatives
(RDI) with assistance from volunteer community
trainers Donna Webb, Brett Costley, Sally Harri-
son and Scott Laird. All the community trainers
are prior graduates of the 2005 FILP.
The group is required to choose and complete a
project that benefits their community, and al-
lows them to practice and use the skills and tools
learned during the training.
The class chose as their project, the design and
completion of the VCLC courtyard as a community
garden that will be open to the public. The garden
The Ford Institute for Community Building makes
a five-year commitment to rural communities.
This includes the four-month community lead-
ership training series in the first, third, and fifth
years. They also provide in-depth trainings on
Creating Effective Organizations in the second
year, and Community Collaborations to address
shared problems and opportunities in the fourth
year. All of these trainings, as well as additional
technical support are provided free of charge to
the communities, through funding from the Ford
Family Foundation.
Vernonia School Superintendent Ken Cox appre-
ciated the value of the materials presented. “Our
community will have a larger pool of trained lead-
ers that can help us move forward as a commu-
nity.” He also noted what he considered to be the
most valuable tool learned, “The importance of
getting involved with the community as a whole.”
Local community organizations that were repre-
sented by participants in this years class include
the Pioneer Museum, Vernonia Pride, Friends of
the Library, PEO, Vernonia Grange, Hands On
Art, Lions Club, Vernonia Cares, VCLC, Vernonia
Ridge Riders, various churches, school teams and
organizations.
The intention is that class participants will take
their knowledge back to their organizations and
improve their effectiveness. “It has helped me see
organizational potential to re-energize my group,”
stated Janelle Thomas-Cedergreen. There is the
potential that this class will continue to work to-
gether as a group on other community projects and
may even collaborate with the first FILP class.
At the graduation ceremony participants and
trainers expressed gratitude to the Ford Family
Foundation for their commitment to Vernonia.
“I believe that the FILP is creating just that - lead-
ers for Vernonia. People who care and want to
make Vernonia a better place,” said Rose Curtis,
about her experience in the class.
Meet the other Ford Foundation
The Ford Family Foundation (FFF) was developed from the estate of Kenneth Ford who founded Roseburg
Forest Products. In 1957, Kenneth and Hallie Ford established a modest foundation to give back to the timber
communities of Southwest Oregon. It grew into The Ford Family Foundation in 1996, and has its main office
in Roseburg, Oregon. The mission of the FFF is to help individuals through organized learning opportunities
to be contributing and successful citizens and to enhance the vitality of rural communities.
Photo Solutions Inc
Welcomes
Vernonia’s Voice
Funding for the programs comes from the FFF with training provided by the Ford Institute, who has partnered
with Rural Development Initiatives to deliver the rural community training. The Ford Institute works within
the framework of the foundation’s core values:
Integrity - Promoting and acknowledging principled behavior.
Stewardship - Responsibility to give back and accountability for resources and results.
Respect - Valuing all individuals.
Independence - Encouraging self-reliance and initiative.
Community - Working together for positive change.
The training is based on a number of assumptions about creating community leaders. First, that leaders can
be made and good leaders can be made better. A related assumption is that leadership in a community is about
relationships and about engaging others. By focusing on teamwork and broad citizen engagement students
learn that leadership is about helping community members create meaning and value in proposed changes. A
third assumption is the importance of applying the new knowledge and skill about leadership to an immediate,
real community project. All people learn best when they can make a connection between theory and practice.
The fourth assumption deals with the power of positive attitudes, strong self-esteem, and community pride as
part of leadership. The program teaches to build on “what works” rather than “what’s wrong.” Lastly there is
an assumption that being an effective community leader comes from knowing oneself. Personal development
is a core element in the program.
The Buckhorn
restaurant &
General store
(503) 429-4632
info@photo-solutions.com
Family-style dining
Cozy fireplace seating
Lunch & dinner
Full bar
Gifts & UPS Shipping
503-429-3751, 934 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR
11am-9pm, Tues.-Sat. & 11am-6pm, Sunday
lottery games
mc/visa