Tag Archives: Dr. Melissa Reade

Cedar Valley’s Reade to Co-Chair Leadership Iowa Program

Dr. Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director will co-chair the 2016-2017 Leadership Iowa program.

Professionals from the Cedar Valley are taking their leadership skills to the next level through the Iowa Association of Business and Industry’s (ABI) Foundation’s Leadership Iowa program. For the last 34 years, ABI and the ABI Foundation have identified many of Iowa’s best leaders and helped to equip them with knowledge and tools to make a difference across the State.

Dr. Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, and a 2015-2016 graduate of Leadership Iowa, will serve a one-year term as the Leadership Iowa Program Co-chair. Her role will be to assist in setting the curriculum, lead planning and execution of the monthly class sessions through co-facilitation of the topic, speakers, and activities. Program co-chairs provide the link within a session and between sessions, so participants see the connectivity from month to month. She will also serve as a member of the Leadership Iowa Board of Governors.

“Melissa was selected based on her willingness and ability to coach, mentor and assist the next class of Iowa leaders. Her strengths and leadership style and her experience in facilitation and

coordination with diverse groups of learners will be an asset to this year’s class, “ says Kay Neumann-Thomas, Vice President, Programs, with the Iowa Association of Business and Industry Foundation, “She has a strong desire to invest in and develop others.”

Each year, 40 talented individuals are selected from a large applicant pool and are selected based on their individual merits, but also for the desire to achieve the best balance of candidates representing varied industries and different geographical areas. Four leaders were selected from Cedar Valley companies and organizations for the 2016-2017 Leadership Iowa class. Participating Cedar Valley leaders include: Jim Atty of Waverly Health Center; Jeremy Kauten of The VGM Group; Justin Marchant of Upper Iowa University; and Sharina Sallis of CUNA Mutual.

Leadership Iowa participants will travel around the state once a month to learn from experts about government; agriculture and renewable energy; education; healthcare; advanced manufacturing and transportation. Reade stated, “It is a great opportunity to learn about and celebrate all of the impactful things taking place across the state in various industries. Leadership Iowa is truly a game-changing and eye-opening opportunity for the state’s leaders. I’m thrilled to walk alongside the 2016-2017 Leadership Iowa class.”

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is an active member of ABI. Information about leadership development opportunities in the Cedar Valley can be found at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com or by calling Steve Dust, CEO at (319) 232-1156.

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University of Northern Iowa and Hawkeye Community College to Introduce Leader in Me and Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

WATERLOO, November 2015— Leader Valley, a talent development initiative of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, is excited to announce an opportunity for pre-service teachers from both Hawkeye Community College and UNI’s Teacher Education programs. Led by the University of Northern Iowa, Hawkeye Community College, and Leader Valley, the Leader In Me Workshop will be held Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 8:30-12:00 p.m. at UNI’s Maucker Union.

During the workshop, soon-to-be teachers will have the opportunity to not only learn about Leader in Me, but also how to integrate the 7 Habits into their own lives as college students and future educators. The 7 Habits are vital to being an effective person and possessing the 21^st Century skills that employers are seeking in the workforce. The college students in attendance will hear first-hand from education and community leaders, local PreK-12 school administrators, and see student leadership first hand.

“This workshop represents the wonderful connections that exist in the Cedar Valley,” says Dr. Terri Lasswell, Head of the Department of Teaching at the University of Northern Iowa. “What a great way for us to model collaboration for our future teachers.” Catharine Freeman, Dean of Communication, Humanities, Education, and Fine Arts at Hawkeye Community College, concurs. Freeman says, “We value the partnership that has developed with UNI and Leader Valley, because we are jointly preparing students to make a profound difference as teacher leaders in our Cedar Valley schools as they put theory into practice.”

Leader Valley Director Melissa Reade says, “This workshop is the result of Habit 6 in action, synergy at its best. It’s exciting for our community and schools when faculty from UNI and Hawkeye can come together with PreK-12 administrators to present an exciting opportunity like this for our future educators,” says Reade. “It’s a ‘win-win’ for all involved, which happens to be Habit 4.”

The Leader Valley talent initiative, born out of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber’s priority to develop a strong workforce and to strengthen business and education collaboration, has been formed to expand the reach of leadership and 21^st Century soft skill development opportunities to all students in the Cedar Valley. Nineteen Cedar Valley schools are already implementing Leader in Me in their buildings, with more schools anticipated to follow across the Cedar Valley.

For more information on Leader in Me and other Leader Valley talent initiatives of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, contact Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director, at 319-232-1156 or by visiting www.cedarvalleyalliance.com.

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Cedar Valley receives 2015 Community of Character Award

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Leader Valley congratulate Cedar Valley Character Counts and the Cedar Valley region of northeast Iowa for being honored by the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University as its 2015 Community of Character.

The Ray Center, formerly known as Character Counts in Iowa, issues the Community of Character award annually to an Iowa community that has developed an active task force and comprehensive, sustained community-wide initiative to support good character and has integrated character development throughout the community.

A CHARACTER COUNTS! in the Cedar Valley committee has developed synergistic partnerships with groups in the Cedar Valley area, including the University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa Youth Sports Initiative, to promote the Six Pillars of Character—trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

“The values promoted by Cedar Valley Character Counts are helping to instill leadership qualities in students throughout the Cedar Valley,” says Dr. Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director. ” We are fortunate in the Cedar Valley to have organizations like this who care about preparing our students to live a life of leadership and success.”

Cedar Valley representatives received the honor during the 2015 Iowa Character Awards Dinner on Friday, July 31, at Prairie Meadows Event Center in Altoona. A volunteer selection committee of nearly 50 members selected the community for the award.

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University promotes leadership, civility, and ethics through applied research, programming, training, and scholarly publications.

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