Program Highlights
Vision into Action is an action-packed, highly interactive workshop that will leave you with a roadmap for your community or organization. We’ll start from the beginning, with a long-term vision, then we’ll build an action plan to start making that vision happen. This roadmap uses an innovative planning framework that energizes communities and organizations to focus on assets and opportunities, rather than issues and threats. People who’ve survived traditional planning processes will find this a refreshing turn on a common need -- namely envisioning where you want to go and then, without delay, moving in that direction.
Our Workshop Leader . . . .
Milan Wall
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Co-Director
Lincoln, Nebraska
mwall@heartlandcenter.info
Milan Wall, Co-Director of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, is a management and communications expert with more than 40 years experience in dealing with the critical issues facing American society and culture. Mr. Wall has been a newspaper reporter and editorial columnist, a university lecturer and a speaker at regional and national conferences on such topics as educational leadership, economic development and uses of technology in education. Before he helped found the Heartland Center, he was Executive Vice President of the University of Mid-America, a multi-state consortium that was recognized internationally for its imaginative approaches to adult education. With Dr. Vicki Luther, he is co-author of a number of publications on leadership and community development, including The Entrepreneurial Community: A Strategic Leadership Approach to Community Survival, Clues to Rural Community Survival and Schools as Entrepreneurs: Helping Small Towns Survive. Previously, he served as editor of the Nebraska School Leader, which won three national awards for excellence among state publications on education during his tenure. In 1993, Mr. Wall was honored with the Award of Excellence, the distinguished alumni recognition of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Teachers College. In addition to airports and airplanes, Milan spends as much time as possible trout fishing at a secret location in Wyoming he refuses to divulge!
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Based in Nebraska, the the Heartland Center was organized in 1985 by a group of Great Plains leaders as an outgrowth of Visions from the Heartland, a grassroots futures project. Today, the Center is known throughout North America for its field research on Clues to Community Survival and for its hands-on programs in community leadership development.
A major focus of the Heartland Center's activities is practical resources and public policies for rural community survival, including leadership training, citizen participation, community planning, facilitation, evaluation and curriculum development. Programs and publications emphasize that local capacity is critical, and renewing local leadership essential, as towns, cities and states work to remain competitive today and in the future.
The Center is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 10 members from around the nation who are experts in leadership and community development. The Center's co-directors, Vicki Luther and Milan Wall, continue to serve as the primary trainers and facilitators, while a diverse group of talented associates carry out the Center's work in communities throughout the United States and Canada.
Each year the Heartland Center works with almost 2,500 leaders, citizens and practitioners from 300 communities nationwide.
Clues to Rural Community Survival
This list of vital characteristics provides an "ideal" benchmark against which people can measure their own community. It moves people naturally from theory, to strategy, to action.
20 Clues to Rural Community Survival: An Annotated List
- Evidence of Community Pride
Successful communities are often showplaces of care, attention, history and heritage. - Emphasis on Quality in Business and Community Life
People believe that something worth doing is worth doing right. - Willingness to Invest in the Future
In addition to the brick-and-mortar investments, all decisions are made with an outlook on the future. - Participatory Approach to Community Decision Making
Even the most powerful of opinion leaders seem to work toward building consensus. - Cooperative Community Spirit
The stress is on working together toward a common goal and the focus is on positive results. - Realistic Appraisal of Future Opportunities
Successful communities have learned how to build on strengths and minimize weaknesses. - Awareness of Competitive Positioning
Local loyalty is emphasized, but thriving communities who know who their competitors are and position themselves accordingly. - Knowledge of the Physical Environment
Relative location and available natural resources underscore decision-making. - Active Economic Development Program
There is an organized, public/private approach to economic development. - Deliberate Transition of Power to a Younger Generation of Leaders
People under 40 regularly hold key positions in civic and business affairs. - Celebration of Diversity in Leadership
Women, minorities, youth and newcomers are welcomed into leadership circles where their ideas are treated as opportunities. - Strong Belief in and Support for Education
Good schools are the norm and centers of community activity. - Problem-Solving Approach to Providing Health Care
Health care is considered essential, and smart strategies are in place for diverse methods of delivery. - Strong Multi-Generational Family Orientation
The definition of family is broad, and activities include younger as well as older generations. - Strong Presence of Traditional Institutions that are Integral to Community Life
Churches, schools and service clubs are strong influences on community development and social activities. - Sound and Well-Maintained Infrastructure
Leaders work hard to maintain and improve streets, sidewalks, water systems, and sewage facilities. - Careful Use of Fiscal Resources
Frugality is a way of life and expenditures are considered investments in the future. - Sophisticated Use of Technology Resources
Leaders access information that is beyond the knowledge base available in the community. - Willingness to Seek Help from the Outside
People seek outside help for community needs, and many compete for government grants and contracts for economic and social programs. - Conviction that, in the Long Run, You Have to Do It Yourself
Thriving rural communities believe their destiny is in their own hands. Making their communities good places is a pro-active assignment, and they willingly accept it.
Our Luncheon Speaker…
Dr. James E. Painter
Food Psychology is the study of how our thoughts affect our diets. As a speaker and educator about food psychology, nutrition expert Jim Painter says, "If you want to lose weight, think small!" His presentations about portion sizes, calorie reduction, heart health, antioxidants, and others have taken him around the world to inspire large and small audiences with the knowledge to help them succeed in today's food culture.
Dr. James Painter has given presentations to a variety of professional, civic, public, and private groups, including Apicius (the Culinary Institute in Florence, Italy) and the National Soybean Research Lab in Bophal, India. Over the years, he has also made headlines with projects such as The Nutrition Analysis Tool and Portion Size Me. His popularity may be due to his simple, common-sense approach to building a healthy food culture. His talks are straight-forward, thought-provoking, intuitive, and entertaining.
Dr. Painter is currently the Chair of the School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Painter earned a Ph.D. in Human Resource and Family Studies from the University of Illinois, a Master's Degree in Food and Nutrition from Oklahoma State University, and is a registered dietitian. Jim has conducted numerous studies in the field of food psychology and mindless eating. He has been involved in the study of food science at the university level for almost 20 years and is a member of several professional associations, including The American Dietetic Association and The Society for Nutrition Education.
To see Dr. Painter take on the 4943-calorie “Riley Burger,” click here!
For Jim’s “portion-size” me information, see him on the CBS Morning Show.
