Title
Chief Administrative Office requesting the Board:
1) Discuss whether the County should support and fund the participation of Department Heads in the American Leadership Forum, and if so, provide direction to the Chief Administrative Office regarding the level of support that should be provided; and
2) Consider and approve funding for one Department Head to attend the American Leadership Forum in Fiscal Year 2019-2020. (Est. Time: 20 Min.)
FUNDING: There is no funding associated with this Board item, but if the Board chooses to fund the participation of Department Heads, the current cost is $13,500.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The American Leadership Forum (ALF) providers leaders from diverse elements of the Sacramento region, including El Dorado County, an opportunity to building trusting relationships with each other and to develop skills in collaboration that can be applied to benefit the community. Their vision is to improve the social, economic and political fabric of the Greater Sacramento region through shared commitment to collaborative action. Their mission is to unite boundary-crossing leaders from a diversity of sectors throughout the Greater Sacramento region; strengthen their leadership capacity through deepening relationships and transformative experiences; and serve the community by working collaboratively to make significant positive contributions. The program lasts approximately one year and requires a significant time commitment from the participant.
In order to be offered the opportunity to participate in ALF, individuals must be nominated by prior ALF participants who live and work in El Dorado County. Potential participants are selected for their recognized leadership position in the community, as well as their potential to provide collaborative leadership and regional stewardship in the future. Nominations are then reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.
Prior El Dorado County participants include Don Ashton, Chief Administrative Officer; Ed Manansala, Superintendent of Schools; Cleve Morris, Placerville City Manager; Woodrow Deloria, El Dorado County Transportation Commission; Dennis Thomas, Placerville City Councilman; and Laurel Brent-Bumb, El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce.
Proponents of ALF highlight the collaborative discussions among people representing multiple sectors, including elected officials, government, non-profit and faith-based organizations, professional networking with other leaders in the Sacramento region, and learning how to participate in difficult discussions on controversial issues impacting our community in an effort to promote positive change. Critics of the program primarily focus on how the program is primarily ‘Sacramento’ focused, the overall cost of the program, and the risk that the County could pay all or a portion of the costs with no commitment from the employee to remain employed by the County.
ALTERNATIVES
If the Board chooses not to support the participation of Department Heads in ALF, no further discussion or action is needed. If the Board chooses to support and fund participation in ALF, this could be done in a variety of ways. One potential way this could be administered is as follows:
1) Only support the participation of one Department Head per ALF session.
2) Identify a maximum dollar amount the County will contribute to the cost of the program, with the remainder to be covered through scholarships provided by ALF or paid by the participant.
3) Require the Department Head to have sufficient appropriations within their budget. If these criteria are met, the request should then be submitted to the CAO for approval. If the Department does not have sufficient appropriations to cover the costs in their budget, especially in regards to smaller departments, the request should be submitted to the CAO for consideration and if supported, then brought to the full Board for approval.
4) Require the Department Head to sign a promissory note obligating the employee to repay the full amount should their employment with the County be severed prior to completion of two (2) full years of service after the County contributes to the ALF program. This is the same as the relocation expense reimbursement policy.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total cost of the program is $13,500 per participant. If funding is approved for one Department Head to attend in FY 2019-20, no budget amendment is required; sufficient savings exists within the FY 2019-20 budget to cover costs up to $13,500.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance by developing executive level managers who can assist in creating and maintain a supportive culture for all employees through staff engagement in policy and process decisions and through strong labor relations.
CONTACT
Don Ashton, CAO