Tag: chair's update

Amazingly, after meeting with our IACD colleagues earlier this month, it sounded like spring on the balcony with birdsong heralding new beginnings even if it was early February in Nebraska. And it is an early spring of new beginnings for CDS, as we are into a new year and solidly working toward a vibrant and resilient […]

As I write this greeting on our national holiday commemorating Martin Luther King’s birthday, I am reminded of the work our members do and have done helping communities and organizations find a path toward healing. The forces of hate remain strong in our country and around the world, and our need to work together to find […]

As we come to the close of yet another year and reflect back on our opportunities and challenges, we see the ongoing impact of global events and trends in our daily lives from COVID and related viruses, wars and famine, the spread of conspiracies and hate, to extreme weather events. Yet, we can also find amazing […]

Last month I wrote about the time management challenges created by the collision of the post-covid zoom world with so-called back to normal, and several of you emailed me to confirm that this is a serious issue. As I was driving across Nebraska this week, Omaha Public Radio broadcasted a program focused on finding ways to […]

I don’t know about you but in this ‘don’t have a minute between meetings collision of zoom world and back to normal’, it seems there is never enough time – enough time to be thorough, enough time to be considerate, enough time to rest and so much more. In these really challenging times, I am grateful […]

We welcome some great new board members for this coming year. Neil Linscheid comes to the Board from Minnesota Extension where he has focused on business and economic development, and Steve Jeanetta, who has served as treasurer in the past, has joined us as VC for operations from Minnesota Extension as well. James Calvin, a long-term […]

Gratitude is a consistent theme that emerges as I write this column. As chair of the CDS Board of Directors, I continue to be amazed at the resilience and creative impact of our treasured Community Development Society during these tumultuous times.  First, I’m grateful to Anthony Cook, our secretary, and the CDS nominations committee members who found […]

As the Community Development Society expands its vibrancy and impact, our sister societies are reaching out to us. This past week, the president of the International Association for Community Development (IACD) from Northern Ireland and an IACD board member from Australia contacted me to explore a deeper connection between our organizations. In addition, the National Association […]

There is a fresh vibrancy in the Society that is quite visceral. I am buoyed by emails and calls from members involved in committees and on the board who raise new questions and express a willingness to do volunteer work.  I am grateful for the nominees for CDS Board of Directors and officer positions. CDS elections […]

Our field of community development continues to expand. We’ve seen the emergence of over a hundred U.S. and Canadian university degree programs with community development majors, minors, or certificates. There have been similar degree programs launched across the globe along with new community development thrusts in government, nonprofits, and socially conscious enterprises. I’m delighted that CDS […]