Creating New Leaders
Bridge to Prosperity
The Anaconda Horizons Project 2006 - 2009
Barbara Andreozzi, MSU-Deer Lodge County Extension Educator &
Anaconda Horizons Project Coordinator
Jim Davison, Anaconda Local Development Corp Director
Dan Villa, State Legislator
Adam Vauthier, Vauthier & Ferguson Design
Outline of each of our presentations
 Barb = Overview of Horizons, dev. steering
committee, study circles, etc
 Jim = Overview of Survey process and input,
Foundation, Expanded Ed. Esp CNA cert
 Adam = Blog, and his classes of expanded
ed (plus his business)
 Dan = Youth involvement & input via Blog
(plus his position/business)
“I start with the premise that the
function of leadership is to produce
more leaders, not more followers”
Ralph Nader
We planned the project with the end in mind
 Evaluated who needed to be involved
 Involved current leaders, emerging and
potential leaders with a passion for the project,
who knew or worked with target population
“The Leader has to be practical and
a realist, yet must talk the language
of the visionary and idealist.”
Eric Hoffer
 Built a complimentary Leadership Team who
could become change agents
 Success breeds success…
 We Started with “Leadership”
Learned from our Past:
Leadership = Volunteer Success
1995 – 2006 Visioning Projects completed:
Master Plan in place, first ever in 100+ yrs
CBD in place along with TIFDs
Commons park totally revamped, permanent
tree in place, raised over $250,000 for project
 Smelter Interpretive site open, MOU’s with
FWP, BP ARCO, County, $150,000 + raised
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Visioning 1995-2006 projects
continued…
 Beautification projects = multiple:
 1000+ new Street Trees in place, 225 last yr
 Storefront facade work completed by six
businesses, more plans to continue
 Flower baskets throughout town in summer
 New entrance arch sign & others in place
 Skateboard Park enjoyed by youth
 Teams addressed community capitals
A One Company Town
Anaconda Company
First electric lights west
of Mississippi 1913
First clay tennis courts in
Montana
First outdoor pool in area
September 1980 closure:
1,500 jobs lost over night
65% of tax base gone
Developing a Steering Committee
 Current Leaders
with an interest or
passion for the
project
 Emerging Leaders
with an interest or
passion for the
project
 Current Leaders
with power to
change current
situation
 Potential new
leaders via PR,
direct invitation,
involved in the issue
Balancing Leadership Potential for a
Successful Steering Committee
Current Leaders skills
 Team players
 Love planning to
implementing
 Visionary
 Change agents
 Power/influence to
make a difference
Emerging Leaders skills
 Risk Takers
 Willing to try something
again or new
 Team players
 Represent project
 Committed to all
phases of the project
“An empowered organization is
one in which individuals have the
knowledge, skill, desire, and
opportunity to personally succeed
in a way that leads to collective
organizational success.”
Stephen R. Covey, PrincipleCentered Leadership
Team reviewed data…
Steering Committee develops asset
maps, knowledge & learning….
Plan for “Inclusion”; Team Building
First meeting sets the stage:
 Communicate Vision/Goals of the project
 Be truthful about project, expectations,
timeline, time commitment, etc.
 Utilize individual assets, expertise
 Build knowledge of Community Assets not
just needs/issues/data
 Consider focus groups & surveys
Build Your Ideal Team
Look for Opportunities to build
Leadership Capacity
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Allow for Champions to emerge
Utilize the Teachable moments
Expect Leadership from all
Empower your team to Lead
Build capacity at every phase
Study Circles Involved 166 Community
Members: Listen, Study, Plan, Act
Community Input via Surveys
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Steering Committee developed survey
Mailed to 500 random households
Survey Monkey version available to all
Findings help focus efforts from Study
Circles, Visioning Forum and surveys
Ask for Help
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Montana State University Extension and The Northwest Area Foundation are working with
citizens to help improve the quality of life in this community through the Horizons program.
Horizons is a community leadership program created to assist small rural and reservation
communities faced with economic decline or population change to enhance their quality of
life.
As a part of this project we are gathering input from community members. We invite you to
take a few minutes to fill out this brief survey so that your opinions will be heard, and so
that you can have a direct hand in promoting positive change in this community. We would
appreciate your participation greatly, and look forward to learning more about your views
and ideas.
Your participation in the survey is completely voluntary, and your responses will be
anonymous. Summaries of all surveys will be provided to a Horizons project committee in
this community. Watch for a community event in October/November where community
members will be invited to create a vision statement and a basic community plan based in
part on these survey results.
For additional surveys or more information, contact your Horizons Community Coach, ---,
at (406) ----, or by e-mail at --@--.
If you have any questions regarding the purposes, content or use of this survey, please call
--- to speak with the MSU Extension staff conducting the survey. Please return the survey
in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope enclosed for your convenience. Thank you in
advance for your participation in
What We Found Out
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Top focus: Create livable wage jobs with benefits,
Expand Educational Opportunities
Develop a Foundation,
Expand Clean-up,
Health issues
Expand After School Programs
Develop more Volunteer Coordination
Words to Actions
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Leadership Investment
Financial Investment
Training Investment
Volunteer Investment
Tested all via our Visioning Forum
A Free Nine Week Leadership Series offered three times:
Mondays starting – March 26, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm, ALDC
Wednesdays starting – March 28, 10:00 a.m.-2:30 pm, ALDC
Saturdays starting – March 31, Noon – 3:30 p.m., St. Mark’s
ending May 21, May 23, May 26
The nine modules cover:
1. FINDING LEADERS WITHIN
2. IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY ASSETS
3. MANAGING GROUPS FOR RESULTS
4. MAKING MEETINGS WORK BETTER
5. MANAGING CONFLICT
6. BUILDING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
7. MOVING FROM TALK TO ACTION
8. VALUING EVALUATION
9. COMMUNICATING FOR CHANGE
Undergrad credit (Dawson Community College – 3 credits for $140) and OPI CU’s are available if attending all nine modules.
Ask for the credit information when you register. Register by calling the MSU-DLCo. Extension Office – 563-4035.
Leadership; a plan for success
 Build capacity to succeed
 Review current Leadership capacity
 Develop Leadership opportunities via
education and learn-as-you-achieve…
 Blend Leaders, styles, abilities
 Involve current, new & emerging Leaders
 Be ready for Teachable moments
Action
First Successes via Horizons
 Bridge to Prosperity first “low-hanging fruit”
 Anaconda Community Foundation
Horizons Projects 2007
 Anaconda Community Foundation
established, raised over $100,000
Training for the Future
 Expand Educational Opportunities
Committee addressing multi layers
 working with high school to revamp/expand
“shop” classes to state-of-art tech & trades
 researching community college model,
offering current course needed by small
business,
 development of CNA certification
Local CNA Training
 Enabled low income to bridge to a career
 Horizons offered scholarships, baby sitting
costs, book/materials costs, test fees, gas
 Hospital offered covering cost of certified
trainer, on-site training, training wage for
time with patients, etc
 Next class set to begin this fall
 Local LPN training “in the works”
Certified Nurses Assistant
 Developed training local to enable low
income to participate
Horizons projects continued…
 Volunteer Center set to launch in 2009
 Medical Transportation Group established,
taking patients to treatment in Missoula,
Butte, Billings
 Home Fix-it Group established, helping with
home repairs, co-hosting fix-it workshops
 Clean-up Committee expanded town cleanup
and Superfund clean-up
 Youth programs expanded in 2008
Developing a Blog for Community
Input / involvement
 Asked Question of the week on Survey
findings, Study Circle findings, etc
 Issues in smaller communities
• People in smaller communities are less
technologically seasoned and thus less likely to visit a
blog.
• Simple solutions
• Make it easy to get to
• Give them a reason to go.
• Make it have a look and feel of the community.
Student Involvement
 Study Circles involved Youth, one circle was
at the High School during classes
 High School Honors classes: Created their
Vision of the Future and presented to the
Community
 High School Students were encouraged to
respond to survey
Expanding Educational
Opportunities: Computer Classes
 Technology courses were implemented to
build skill sets of people inside the
community.
• Current courses include Microsoft Office 2007 and
QuickBooks.
• Both are focused on developing necessary skills for
the office environment.
Expanding Educational
Opportunities: Computer Classes
 Classes took place in five week sessions.
• The overall theme of the classes was to cover the
basics of the pieces of software and some conceptual
ideas
• Resources were given out along with the classes for
future reference on the material to allow for self –
education to be competitive in the workforce.
Volunteer Center ready to take-off
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Vista position starting July 2009
Committee set to work with Vista position
Computer program ready…
Partnership between PCA/Family Resource
Center, Library, MSU Extension, ALDC, etc
 Non-Profits agree to work together /
Coordinate!
Other Projects…
Community Involvement
Special emphasis: Youth &
Those most in need
 Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful
committed citizens can change the world;
Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead, anthropologist
Questions???