United Way and NCCF sponsor Project BluePrint
Article Photos
The following individuals, members of the Project BluePrint class of 2008, were honored recently at a commencement dinner at ZeBro's On The Lake Harbor House in Westfield.
Nicole M. Waite is a native of Dunkirk and loves her community. She wants to use her talents to help Chautauqua County in any way she can. She found Project BluePrint to be the perfect opportunity to help get started on that path.
Diane M. Petrucci is a resident of Westfield and wanted to learn more about her county. She also wants to give back to the county by volunteering.
Jeanne Polisoto is a resident of Forestville. Joining Project BluePrint provides her with a viable background to help with an organization's mission of service.
Doris Parment is a resident of Mayville. She believes that the largest room in the world is knowledge and Project BluePrint was a nice window to that room.
Donna Phillips is a resident of Dunkirk and a Mortgage Loan Officer for Bank of America. She has a feeling of responsibility to give back to the community and help make it a better place to live. Currently she serves on the Advisory Board of a not for profit. In addition Project BluePrint has improved her skill and given her better knowledge of board responsibilities.
Martha Smith has lived in Chautauqua County since her teen years and likes opportunities to learn new things. Through Project BluePrint she has learned about all of the aspects of board membership. She would like to be part of a not for profit board to serve the community and give of her time and talents.
Robin Carr is a resident of Portland and is currently in a couple of leadership roles. She decided to participate in Project BluePrint to feel confident that she is being the best member that she can be. She says Project BluePrint is a course that was well worth her time. Anyone who is considering being on any board should pursue Project BluePrint for the expertise they teach.
The keynote speaker was Patti Daughrity who was born and raised in Ripley. She graduated from Ripley High School. She has a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management from Iowa State University. She is the owner of two businesses: a grape farm, and Quincy Cellars.
Daughrity just returned from Bulgaria where she spent a month studying the wine and tourism industry. In the past she has served on three volunteer boards and continues volunteering on the The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, Vice-chair for the Ripley Community Heritage Board and the Project BluePrint Advisory Committee.
Project BluePrint operates with the guidance of this Advisory Committee.
The program provides interested candidates from minority groups with the skills, knowledge, and networking necessary to become effective members of committees and boards of directors of area not-for-profit agencies. Further, it helps such agencies become more inclusive and reflective of the diverse populations they serve.
The project recruits students into the program, provides training and works to facilitate placement of graduates onto area agency boards.
The training was held at the Jamestown Community College Training Center in Dunkirk. It includes ten 2-1/2 hour workshops with a pre-observation and post-observation of actual not-for-profit organization board meetings. Instructors provide their services as volunteers. This year's workshop topics and instructors were:
Orientation: Elizabeth Cardona, Chautauqua Opportunities Inc.
Board Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships: Diane Hannum, Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation and Carolyn Stow, United Way of Northern Chautauqua County
Financial Management: John Olsavsky, SUNY Fredonia
Resource Generation: Rick Davis, Fredonia Opera House
Marketing: Amy Vercant, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce
Snapshot of Northern Chautauqua Community and Community Leadership: Amy Cuhel-Schuckers, SUNY Fredonia
Close Encounters of the Inter Personal Kind: Rich Goodman, SUNY Fredonia (Retired)
Strategic Planning: Dr. Sue McNamara, Chautauqua Works
Networking and Collaboration: Elizabeth Cardona, Chautauqua Opportunities Inc.
Ethics Panelist: Stephen Kershnar-SUNY Fredonia, Priscilla Koch volunteer board member.
Legal Issues: John Gullo Esq., Gullo and Price Esqs.
Organizations that hosted Project BluePrint students for observation of board meetings were Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation and the City of Dunkirk Common Council.
Project BluePrint seeks diverse candidates with strong leadership qualities and a proven track record of community involvement who have a desire to develop the knowledge and skills to serve on a not-for-profit board of directors. Program participants must be willing to embark upon a rigorous four-month training program and serve on a non-profit board of directors/committee for a minimum of one year upon graduation.
Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Cardona, Project BluePrint Coordinator, at 413-1204.
