History and Overview of the Center for NEW DIRECTIONS
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Center for NEW DIRECTIONS is to develop academic programs
and courses focused in the areas of politics and public policy with the purpose of
developing the leadership capacities necessary to address changing public
priorities for the 21st century within neighborhoods, communities,
governmental jurisdictions, and nonprofit entities.
Introduction
The tragic events of what we now mark in time as “9-11” have heightened our awareness of how quickly
the public’s priorities can change. It has also challenged us more than ever to examine the meaning of
leadership in our individual and collective efforts to determine the legitimacy of competing agendas for
realizing the public good. The following overview briefly outlines the historical development of the
program and the unique characteristics of the Center for NEW DIRECTIONS in meeting its own
challenge of redefining leadership for the 21st century.
The Center’s Inception
In the early 1990s, CU/Denver’s Political Science Department pioneered an all-weekend B.A. program in
Public Policy and Administration tailored to the needs of working professionals. In 1997, in response to
the request for graduate educational opportunities in the Western Slope-Durango area, an exploratory offcampus master’s program was initiated through the CU/Denver Political Science Department with an area
of emphasis in politics and public policy. The first cohort consisted of 31 participants. The Center still
provides courses at its Durango site.
The ICMA 1999 Award
In 1999, the Durango-based program received the ICMA (International City/County Management Association)
award as “The best academic program in the nation helping to meet the needs of local governments.”
Return to the Denver Area
With the success of the Durango-based M.A. program, the decision was made to bring it to the Denver
area, to complement the earlier B.A. initiative, under the more comprehensive designation as a Center. In
September of 2001, the Center began offering an M.A., along with an Academic Certificate Program in
Leadership, all with a special emphasis in Politics and Public Policy.
Equally important, this expanded role also provided an opportunity to develop a wider range of
collaborative programs and other activities supporting the leadership needs of our participating local
government consortium members. (See Below: Denver Metropolitan Area Partnerships)
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The Center’s Emphasis on Politics and Public Policy
Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of the Center’s academic programs is its emphasis on
politics and political awareness. This emphasis has little to do with traditional partisan politics as
generally associated with political parties or ideologies. The Center’s focus on politics and the policymaking process relates to the ability of leaders to mobilize resources and achieve constituent goals
consistent with the public interest. In this context, politics becomes a synonym for communication and
effective politics translates into effective communication. In short, this emphasis on political awareness
seeks to help participants utilize the political process as the “art of making what appears to be impossible,
possible” (Scheibner).
Denver Metropolitan Area Partnerships
The Center’s success to date in implementing its mission can be attributed largely to the early
achievement of one of its major goals: to establish working partnership agreements with participating
local government jurisdictions. In formalizing the partnership agreement, each participating entity makes
a one-time contribution to the Center of $2500 as evidence of the jurisdiction’s commitment to the
mission and goals of the Center. In turn, the Center provides training sessions and other benefits to the
staff and/or citizens of any participating local government jurisdiction. Perhaps most essential is the
Center’s ongoing commitment to help meet the leadership competency needs of the participating
jurisdictions. The Center currently has partnership agreements with the following local government
jurisdictions:
 Denver
● Westminster
 Aurora
● Arvada
 Arapahoe County
● Commerce City
 Douglas County
● Brighton
 Parker
● Thornton
 Englewood
● Northglenn
 Greenwood Village
● South Metro Fire District
Four Corners Area Advisory Board
In November 2006, a first ever Citizen Advisory Board was formed for our Four Corners Area program.
This group meets twice a year to offer programmatic suggestions and assistance in student recruitment
and internship placement. Current participating jurisdictions include:
 Archuleta County
● La Plata County
 Bayfield
● Cortez
 Durango
● Ridgway
 Mancos
● Ignacio
 Montezuma County
The Best and the Brightest Internship Program and 2004 ICMA Award
In 1998, a prototype internship program was begun through the Durango-based program in collaboration
with six small, rural western slope jurisdictions and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The
program was so successful that in January of 2001, it was expanded to include 20 placements consisting
of 13 jurisdictions scattered along the eastern plains and the Front Range, as well as 7 jurisdictions on the
western slope. The eighth cohort of 14 placements starts in January 2014.
Participating students receive a $35,000 annual stipend for the two years of the program, which includes
full health and other employee benefits while, at the same time, completing all of the requirements for
their Master’s Degree in Political Science with an area of emphasis in politics and public policy. The
program is the recipient of the
ICMA 2004 Program Excellence Award for Outstanding Partnerships and Intergovernmental
Cooperation for Local Governments.
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Appreciation of the Weekend Format and Integrative Curriculum Design
Courses offered through the Center are based on a weekend format that consists of two or three weekend
sessions for each course spread out over a two-month period. Participants praise the weekend format, the
integrative and holistic approach of the curriculum, and the strong encouragement of course requirements
to address real community or agency concerns.
Focus on Developing Leadership Competencies
Students participating in any of the academic programs consistently identify the Center’s focus on
developing leadership competencies as one of the major reasons for their enrollment. In addition to the
outcomes specific for the subject of each course, all courses emphasize outcomes related to the following
competency areas that are considered critical in developing the required leadership capacities necessary to
address changing public priorities for the 21st century within neighborhoods, communities, and
governmental jurisdictions.
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Creativity and Innovation
Changing Public Priorities
Political and Social Diversity
Ethical and Legal Accountability
Deductive and Inductive reasoning
Applied Use of Appropriate Technology
Strategic Planning and Decision-Making
Resolution of Conflicts and Public Consent Building
Individual, Organizational, and Cultural Communication
Effectiveness
Varied Backgrounds of Participants
Participants in the NEW DIRECTIONS academic programs represent a wide range of demographic,
occupational, and personal backgrounds. They include public and non-profit administrators, elected
officials, private-sector employees, community activists, and a variety of others who might be simply
called “concerned citizens.” All classes are offered in an integrative fashion of instructor presentation
complemented with active participant feedback and involvement. Students frequently comment on how
much they value the diversity of individuals in the program and how much they learn from each other in
the feedback process.
Off-Campus Locations
All of the Center’s courses are held off-campus and are sanctioned through the State Office of Extended
Studies. The courses are held at the following two locations: the Arapahoe Community College, Parker
Campus, located next to Chaparral High School in Douglas County, and on the Fort Lewis College
campus in Durango, Colorado.
The weekend format helps facilitate participation by individuals living considerable distances from where
the classes are held. At the Douglas County site, there are students making the trip to their weekend
courses from such locations as Pueblo (100 miles), Trinidad and Poncha Springs (150 miles), and the
Town of Holly (250 miles).
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Academic Excellence
The rigorous, cutting-edge curriculum of the Center’s academic programs is facilitated through a collaborative mix of tenured CU
Denver Political Science faculty and accomplished practitioners with individually recognized topics of expertise in such areas as:
community empowerment; citizen activism; conflict resolution; public consent building; organizational change agents; ethical
responsibilities of leaders; systems change; the uniqueness of local government; vision and goal setting; strategic planning;
effective communication; the politics of the budgetary process; and public policy development. The current roster of faculty
includes the following:
Mike Cummings, PhD – First chairman of the CU/Denver Political Science Department, Dr. Cummings has been designated a President’s
Teaching Scholar, CU’s highest award for career teaching excellence. One of his recent books, Beyond Political Correctness, won the APSA’s
“Most Outstanding Book in Transformational Politics” award in 2002.
Tony Robinson, PhD – A former candidate for Denver’s City Council, Dr. Robinson developed his dissertation on empowering neighborhoods
while living in the disempowered Tenderloin District of San Francisco. He has received awards in teaching, community service, and applications
of technology in learning. Dr. Robinson serves as the current chairman of the Political Science Department at CU Denver.
Christoph Stefes, PhD – Born and raised in Germany, Dr. Stefes completed his doctoral program through Denver University’s School of
International Studies with an emphasis in comparative public policy and international political economy.
Thorsten Spehn, PhD – Also raised in Germany, Dr. Spehn is another graduate of the DU School of International Studies with an emphasis in
comparative politics and policy and international relations.
John Baranski, PhD – Author of Something to Help Themselves’: Tenant Organizing in San Francisco Public Housing, 1965-1975, Dr.
Baranski also teaches and conducts research on American Politics and community activism at Fort Lewis College.
Brad Clark, PhD – author of River Restoration and Dam Removal in the American West: An Examination of Policy Change across Political
Jurisdictions, Dr. Clark is also on the faculty at Fort Lewis College.
Miles Davies, JD – A former candidate for Denver’s City Council, Dr. Davies is a principal in Dispute Resolutions, a mediation firm, and he
specializes in public conflict and consent building. He has also been on the faculty at Denver University’s University College.
Jeff Fox, PhD – Author of Judgments, Decisions, and Public Policy (2002), Dr. Fox teaches and conducts research on American Politics and the
presidency.
Aden Hogan, MPA – Aden is the highly respected Town Administrator for the Town of Evans. As the former assistant city manager in
Oklahoma City, he served as one of the City’s liaisons during the response and recovery following the Oklahoma City bombing tragedy.
Carmine Iadarola, MPA -- President of AquaSan Network, Carmine aids local jurisdictions in their development of water and alternative
energy resources.
Sam Mamet, MPA – The Executive Director of the Colorado Municipal League, Sam Mamet has long been considered to be one of the most
knowledgeable and highly respected lobbyists at the Colorado Legislature.
Bill Ray, MPA – Current Deputy City Manager of Arvada and past city manager of Cortez and Pagosa Springs, Bill Ray is a widely respected
public administrator and manager with more than thirty years of experience in all facets of local government.
Michael Scannell, MPA – Former CAO of Mendocino County, California, Michael currently serves as the highly skilled City Manager of Camp
Verde, Arizona and is the former County Administrator for La Plata County, Colorado.
Gary Sears, MPA – Former President of the Colorado City/County Managers Association, Gary is currently the City Manager for the City of
Englewood. A recognized leader in his profession, he is the recipient of the prestigious Leo Riethmayer “Outstanding Public Administrator”
Award.
Ron Miller, MPA – Former City Manager of Aurora, Colorado, Ron currently is the President of Miller Municipal Consultants, aiding local
governments across Colorado as they address issues of organizational change.
Ron LeBlanc, MPA – Experienced City Manager in Colorado, Connecticut, and Idaho communities, Ron currently serves as the City Manager
of Durango, Colorado. Ron’s Jesuit undergraduate experience provides a strong basis for his teaching of the Ethical Responsibilities of Leaders.
Ken Charles, MA, Planning – Ken began his career in Planning following graduation with his MA from the University of Wyoming. He
currently serves as the field manager for the southwest region of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, where he is often called on to assist
local jurisdictions in public consent building.
Yohannes Woldermariam, PhD – Co-editor of An Anthology of Comparative Politics in Africa: Critical Concepts in Political Science, Dr.
Woldermariam teaches and conducts research on Comparative Public Policy and Politics.
Kathryn Cheever, Ph.D. – A Graduate of UCD’s Graduate School of Public Affairs and former faculty member at the University of Memphis in
Tennessee, Kathryn is Director of the Center for NEW DIRECTIONS. Her practitioner background includes service as executive director and
program director of numerous nonprofit organizations in the metropolitan Denver area with a focus on fair housing, affordable housing, youth
violence prevention, and community involvement. In the local government arena, Kathryn served two five-year terms on the Denver Board of
Adjustment for Zoning Appeals. Kathryn teaches the introductory course “Politics, Public Policy, and Leadership,” required for all of the
Center’s academic programs and the Research Methods course, preparing students for the completion of their master’s project. Her current
research focus is on interagency collaboration and creating public value.
Last updated 8/5/13