May 2008     

Volume VIII, Issue II.

The JOURNEY
a publication of the
Coro Center for Civic Leadership

Share your news with us: Are you a Coro Alum with a new job?  New spouse?  New baby?  Please share your  news by emailing to Tracey Jones.

Announce your Job Opportunities through the Coro Website: If you have a job, volunteer opportunity or other opening that you want to announce to the Coro Community, please post it to: www.coro.org/submitjob

     In this issue:

Coro Center Updates        The 13th Annual Leadership Luncheon           Coro's First Innovation Week        Sacramento Week Reception	Program News             Exploring Leadership Program                 Exploring Leadership Program, class of 2009                 Exploring Leadership Program Expansion                 36 Summer Internship Placements Needed                 EL 2006 Senior Send-Off Mural Arts Project          Fellows Program in Public Affairs                 Fellows Program in Public Affairs Graduation                 Group Placements                 Nonprofit/Philanthropy Placements                 Thank you for a Successful FPPA Selection Day
Alumni News and Events          Alumni Spotlight: Pamela Cook          Alumni Updates	Donor Recognition          Annual Fund          Exploring Leadership          Fellows Program in Public Affairs          General Support          Third Program
Contact Us	Opportunities and Jobs in the Community

Support Coro Center for Civic Leadership

Support Coro Today!
We appreciate your contributions. Your support allows us to deliver the highest quality leadership training programs. Click on the icon to the left to make a contribution by check or credit card.

Contact Patrick O'Heffernan if you are interested in contributing securities or other financial instruments, real estate or would like to make a planned gift.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

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CORO CENTER UPDATES

The 13th Annual Leadership Luncheon

The 13th Annual Coro Leadership Luncheon, held on April 18th at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel, was the most successful Leadership Luncheon in Coro’s history. More than 600 people attended the Luncheon and contributed over $347,000 to support Coro’s leadership training programs. Donations made to Coro during and after the Luncheon totaled more than $15,000, which enabled Coro to claim an additional $15,000 in a matching grant offered by the Miranda Lux Foundation.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and San Francisco 49er cornerback Ronnie Lott and former San Francisco 49er President Carmen Policy were led in an onstage conversation by KQED journalist and Coro Board member, Scott Shafer. The Crystal Eagle Award went to former San Francisco City Attorney Louise Renne, the Lifetime Achievement Award to former Coro Center Board member and graduate Betty Schafer, and Coro Board member Jean Nudelman accepted the Coro Medal on behalf of Kaiser Permanente.

The additional stars of the day were the Coro Fellows and Youth Fellows who introduced the speakers and awardees. The 2007 Youth Fellows Danice Delos Santos and Parker Menzimer and 2008 Coro Public Affairs Fellows Kirstin Conti and Nadir Vissanjy truly represented the spirit of Coro.

A new feature of the Luncheon was its “green” aspect. With support from Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Kaiser Permanente, the Leadership Luncheon and VIP Reception were carbon neutral, low-energy impact, and all organic. Computers in the receptions enabled guests, guided by Coro Fellows, to calculate their carbon footprint and learn about programs they could sign up for to offset their impact on global warming. The entire event was designed to be a low energy impact event through the use of energy-conserving LED stage lights, locally sourced food, and recycled paper for the invitations and programs.

The lunch that was served was an all-organic recipe from Kaiser Permanente’s Recipes for Life menus. Ingredients were locally-sourced to reduce transportation impacts and boost area farmers. Luncheon guests were given goody bags with a packet of Kaiser recipes, a low energy CFL light bulb from Pacific Gas and Electric, and a reusable shopping bag from Macy’s.

The funds raised at the Leadership Luncheon will provide direct and vital support for all of Coro’s programs, including the Fellows Program in Public Affairs and the Exploring Leadership youth program. 

Coro expresses its deep appreciation to our Luncheon supporters.
Please, CLICK HERE for a full list of our 13th Annual Leadership Luncheon supporters.

Louise Renne receives the Crystal Eagle Award from Youth Fellow Parker Menzimer.

Coro's First Innovation Week

American civil society has entered a period of fundamental change.  As technology intersects with democracy, politics is increasingly conducted on the internet. Many questions are raised by this intersection. Exploring the ongoing innovation of democracy is critical to equipping the Coro Fellows with the skills they will need to listen, communicate, inspire and lead in the 21^st century. In February 2008, Coro launched its first Innovation Week to immerse the Coro Fellows in the intersection of technology and democracy so they understand the dynamics, needs, concerns and culture of Silicon Valley and its role in civil society.

Innovation Week consisted of five days of intense interviews and site visits throughout Silicon Valley and San Francisco; plus research, panel discussions and social events.

The Week was made possible through the generosity of its key sponsors:
The Duncan Matteson Family and Hewlett-Packard 

Participating Organizations and Individuals: 

·         Keiretsu Forum: Colin Weil, Co-President
·         bîgtent.com: Rosa Terrazas, Laney Whitcanack, and Nicholas Chim
·         Zero Divide:  Eugene Chan, Director of Technology
·         The Matteson Companies: Duncan Matteson, Chairman
·         Spock.com: Rahul Prakash, Vice President of Growth Strategies
·         New Cycle Capital: Josh Becker
·         Clearstone Venture Partners: David Stern
·         NASA Ames Research Center, Dr. S. Pete Worden, Center Director and Gary
          Martin, Director, Strategic Management & Advanced Planning
·         San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed
·         Joint Venture Silicon Valley: Russell Hancock, President & CEO and Seth
          Fearey, VP & COO
·         Housing Trust of Santa Clara County: Taylor Dial, Executive Director
·         Debbie Stephens Stauffer, Entrepreneur/Inventor
·         Richard Lowenthal, former Mayor/Entrepreneur
·         Yahoo! for Good, Yahoo! Inc: Meg Garlinghouse, Director and Bradley
          Horowitz, Head of Advance Development
·         Social Edge, Skoll Foundation: Victor d’Allant, Executive Director
·         Benetech: Ann Harrison, Communications Director
·         Paul Saffo, Technology Forecaster/Futurist/Professor of Engineering at
          Stanford University
·         TIBCO Software: Luke Birdeau, Sr. Architect
·         Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and
          President
·         Women 2.0
·         JAJAH Inc.: Shaherose Charania, Director of Global Marketing and Co-Founder
          of Women 2.0
·         FirstRain: YY Lee, Chief Operating Officer and Luis Buhler, Chief Financial
          Officer
·         Google.org: Larry Brilliant, Executive Director and Linda Segre, Managing
          Director of Operations
·         Silicon Valley Leadership Group: Carl Guardino, President and CEO

The Innovation Week Advisory Council, made up of leaders and innovators from Silicon Valley corporations, foundations, non-profits and research labs guided the design of Innovation Week.

Members: Ratna Amin, Office of Oakland City Council President Ignacio de la Fuente; Adam Borelli, Team Coordinator, Climate Change Team, Google.org, Google, Inc.; Luis Buhler, CFO, FirstRain Corp; Eugene Chan, Director of Technology, California Technology Foundation; Victor d’Allant, Executive Director, www.Socialedge.org; Gary Fazzino, Vice President of Government Affairs, Hewlett-Packard Corporation; Meg Garlinghouse, Director, Yahoo for Good; Jeff Gordon, Senior Director Program Development and External Partnerships, San Jose State University Research Foundation; Carl Guardino, President and CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Lynn Gutstadt, Director of Market Research, CNET Networks; Terry Nagel, Mayor of Burlingame; Steve Poizner, California State Insurance Commissioner; former Silicon valley investor; Rahul Prakash, Vice President Growth Strategies, Spock.com; Scott Stauffer, Edward Jones Investments; Rosa Terrazas and Mary Obelnicki, bîgtent.com; Colin Wiel, Co-President, Keiretsu Forum San Francisco; Steve Wright, Director of Innovation, SalesForce.com Foundation

Sacramento Week Reception

Coro expresses its appreciation to the sponsors of the Fellows Program’s Sacramento Reception. Co-hosted by our sponsors and the Coro Centers of both Northern and Southern California, the reception is an integral part of State Government Week. During this exciting week, the Fellows of both Coro Centers came together for an unparalleled opportunity to shadow, interview and interact with legislators and decision makers from many areas of State government.  Meetings and briefings were held in the Governor’s Office and both houses of the Legislature, as well as state agencies, advocacy and lobbying organizations, and the media. In effect, the week serves as a laboratory for the two groups of Fellows to examine how public policy is made and executed in one of the world’s largest economies.

Thanks to Coro’s Sacramento Week Reception sponsors:

Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Aaron Read & Associates
Personal Insurance Federation of California
Larry Miles, Fellows Program 1976 and Member, San Juan School District Board

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PROGRAM NEWS

Exploring Leadership

Exploring Leadership Program, class of 2009

We are excited to announce the Exploring Leadership, class of 2009! The 36 Youth Fellows selected represent 24 diverse high schools in San Francisco and the East Bay. We very much appreciate the participation of 100 community volunteers who joined us as Selection Day judges to bring energy, integrity and perspective to the rigorous selection process. We look forward to the opportunity to work with this new cohort of high school juniors who are ready to develop their leadership skills to make a difference in their communities. The program launches on Monday, June 23^rd.

Please click HERE to see the class of 2009 roster.

Please click HERE to see the demographic data of the class of 2009.

Exploring Leadership Program Expansion

In its 10-year program history, this year was the most competitive. We had 169 students apply from 39 Bay Area high schools for the 36 available spots in the program as compared to 89 applicants last year. We not only received a large number of applications but the candidates were quite strong and highly qualified. The process of turning away 79% of our applicants who demonstrate great leadership potential and promise is a difficult one for us and we are working very hard to secure the financial support that would permit us to double our enrollment for the summer of 2009. We have a community need and we hope to meet it.

If you are interested in supporting the expansion of the Exploring Leadership Program, please contact Jeff Sosnaud at jsosnaud@coro.org or 415.986.0521 ext. 101.

36 Summer Internship Placements Needed for 36 Coro Youth Fellows

We are looking to secure 36 unique and challenging learning experiences for our 36 Youth Fellows in the nonprofit, government, and business sector. The summer internship placement is for 5 weeks (Tu/W/Thu) from July 8^th to August 7^th. The internship is an important part of the Youth Fellows’ exploration of their leadership potential.  It’s also a fun and rewarding way for you and your staff team to support the leadership development of a young person who is committed to making a difference in his or her community.

The 3 placement requirements are: 1). There is a direct supervisor, who will oversee the Youth Fellow’s experience; 2). There is a substantive work project (s) by which the Youth Fellow is held responsible for tangible results of benefit to the organization; and 3). The placement site is located in San Francisco and the East Bay and accessible by public transportation.

If you are interested in hosting a placement, please contact Amy Chan at achan@coro.org or 415.986.0521 ext. 105.

EL 2006 Senior Send-Off Mural Arts Project

On Saturday, May 10^th, alumni of the Exploring Leadership, class of 2006 gathered at the Coro office for a Senior Send-Off event that included paint, food, music, and fun. Before thinking and looking ahead to the next chapter of their lives in colleges, this event provided a venue for the alumni to reconnect, reminisce, and reflect. The students also had the unique opportunity to leave their legacy with Coro through a mural arts project. In collaboration with professional artists from the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Organization, the alumni created a 12' mural on canvas that captures their Coro experience as well as their roles as young leaders in the Bay Area. Be sure to check it out the next time you’re in the Coro office! 

	Slowly the mural starting to come to life as the EL alums contributed brushstrokes.
The first ever EL Alumni mural!

Fellows Program in Public Affairs

Fellows Program in Public Affairs Graduation

Please join us in celebrating the graduating class of 2008!

Friday, May 23^rd
6 pm Reception
6:30 pm Program

Port Commission Hearing Room
Ferry Building
San Francisco

For questions or details, call Toni at 415/ 986-0521, ext. 100

Group Placements

The Coro Fellows spent the month of January working on group projects that crossed multiple sectors. Below is a brief description of each of the projects.

Port of Oakland

The Coro Fellows analyzed the Employment Resource Development Program (ERDP) model and explored other business models for Port workforce development programming. Their report was based on the results of research and surveys they conducted and helped provide a fresh perspective to the ERDP. Coro would like to thank Jo Ann Yoshioka-George and Diann Castleberry for hosting the Fellows’ project.

Lucas Botello, Zach Blume, Craig Ishihara, and Ariana Proehl presenting to the Port of Oakland.

The RINC Organization

Four Fellows worked in Santa Cruz County to determine the feasibility of obtaining permits for an Eco Farm to assist the County in solving issues related to waste in an environmentally sound manner. Coro would like to thank Ray Roeder for hosting the Fellows for this project.

Kirstin Conti, Alea Gage, Raema Quam, and Geoff Willard presenting their findings.

Give Something Back Business Products

At Give Something Back (GSB) Business Products the Fellows researched and co-authored the company's first sustainability report. They provided GSB with strategic recommendations on how the company can become more sustainable by focusing on a triple bottom-line: economic, environmental and social. Coro would like to thank Mike Hannigan and all of the staff at GSB for hosting the Coro Fellows.

 

Diana Medina, Caroline Mullen, Tuan Ngo, and Nadir Vissanjy with the GSB staff

Nonprofit / Philanthropy Placements

For the first time this year, Coro expanded the nonprofit sector rotation to include philanthropy. Having half of the Fellows placed in nonprofit organizations and half placed in foundations helped in the Fellows’ understanding of the relationship between fundraising and grantmaking. Coro would like to thank the following organizations for hosting Fellows during this rotation:

American Red Cross Bay Area
Bay Area Black United Fund
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area
DonorsChoose.org
Equal Justice Society
Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
Habitat for Humanity San Francisco
San Francisco Mental Health Education Funds, Inc., & the San Francisco Mental Health Board
Silver Giving Foundation
Tides Foundation
USS Hornet Museum
Women’s Foundation of California

Thank you to the Coro Community for a Successful Fellows Program Selection Day

Thanks to all who came out on March 20^th for the 2008 Fellows Program in Public Affairs Selection Day! Over 100 alumni, current participants, community members, and staff were on the University of San Francisco’s campus to see the 30 finalists in action. Both judges and candidates alike emerged at the end of the day exhausted but inspired by the flurry of group activities and individual interviews.  Click here to view the full 2008 Selection Day judge roster.

Thank you to the Coro community for participating in this rigorous but inspiring day and for contributing to the selection process of the next class of Coro Fellows. A special thanks to the current class of San Francisco Fellows for guiding the candidates through the day smoothly and to the University of San Francisco for generously hosting the day's activities!

Be sure to keep an eye out for an announcement of the final 2008-09 class in an upcoming issue of The Journey!

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ALUMNI NEWS AND EVENTS

Alumni Spotlight: Pamela Cook

Pamela Cook, 2003 San Francisco Community Leadership Program Graduate.

While I was working at The Clorox Company as its Community Relations Manager, I regularly worked with Coro Fellows that Clorox was hosting. I was impressed by their caliber, vitality, and engagement and often wished that I could have had the opportunity to be a Coro participant myself. When I learned of the Community Fellows Program, I was excited about going through the program and at the prospect of being a part of the Coro community.

As a Community Fellow, I learned about group dynamics, leadership, and all kinds of management tools (DKDK, Wedge of Consciousness, Dot Voting, Johari’s Window, and many more). I learned to be a quick study, to be flexible, to work under pressure and to be humble. I gained greater exposure to a range of communities, including Treasure Island, San Mateo, and my own hometown of San Rafael. In addition, I was able to spend time with a great cohort of talented Fellows from all over the Bay Area.

Using more than twenty years experience in corporate community relations and nonprofit fundraising, I founded and am currently the Principal of Pamela Cook Development Search, an organization that has conducted searches for nonprofit development staff since 2000. Participating in Coro helped me to improve my business processes, expand my network of professional friends and colleagues, and think and reflect away from the day-to-day pressures of running my business.

I feel fortunate and honored to be part of such an interesting, accomplished, and committed network of Coro alumni. I have stayed involved--I have served on selection panels, attended a national conference in Aptos, participated in Coro Conversations, attended Coro graduation ceremonies, and attended the annual luncheon every year. I stay in touch with a number of my classmates and attended a class reunion last summer at Libby Schaaf’s home.   Julie Chin and I see each other regularly; we participate in a women’s giving circle where we pool our charitable gifts and collaborate on which international nonprofits to fund. I eagerly read this newsletter for news on friends and other alumni. My Coro experience is still continuing; I look forward to continuing to contribute, collaborate, and engage with Coro Fellows and other alumni.
 

Alumni Updates

Barbara Brown, FPPA ’76 SF, recently launched "Hold this Thought," a daily radio show on public radio in Alaska. The show is a one-minute “thought” on literature, history, or culture and is designed to inspire reflection, social change, and community-building. Go to www.holdthisthought.org for more information.

Nina Erhlich, FPPA ’99 SF, and husband Sev Williams, welcomed their second son, Jude Benjamin Williams, on April 25, 2008 in Santa Barbara, CA.

Robert Fleri, CLP ’06, an executive with Wells Fargo in San Francisco, is on the board of the Prescott-Joseph Center in Oakland, where he began volunteering following his involvement with the Taproot Foundation, his shadow placement while in Coro. He is excited by the many projects at Prescott-Joseph, including working to get a Mobile Asthma Clinic to residents of West Oakland.

Diana Ip, FPPA ’00 SF, recently became director of programs at Changemakers, a small community-based foundation in San Francisco.

Regina Jackson, FPPA ’85 SF, executive director of the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC), received the Humanitarian Award as an inductee into the Bishop O’Dowd High School Hall of Fame earlier this month. Jackson is the first female and first African American to receive the Humanitarian distinction at O’Dowd.

Maura Keaney, FPPA ’99 SF, and husband welcomed their first child, daughter Maren Keaney Williams, on March 19, 2008 in Washington DC. Maura is a corporate social responsibility specialist with APCO Worldwide, a public affairs and communications consulting firm. 

Kouslaa Kessler-Mata, FPPA ’01 SF, and husband Doowan Lee, became first-time parents on April 20, 2008 with the birth of their daughter, Chaan-hee Tamra Ahpah Mata-Lee.  Kouslaa was recently offered a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Politics Department at USF and will start this fall.

EL 2006 Alumni, Flora Ko, Fatima Duran, and Linna La were awarded scholarships for demonstrating both academic achievement and leadership at the Elks Lodge Awards Ceremony at the Kensington Palace Hotel on March 5, 2008.  Congratulations!

The scholarship winners with Coro staff members.

Erica Kohl, FPPA ’95 SF, is in her final year of a PhD program at UC Berkeley which she hopes will lead to teaching community development and planning. She is the mother of a 1-1/2 year old daughter, Emilia, with husband Jose, who is an artist and professor at Foothill College. 

Jerome Padilla, EL ’98, is a manufacturing process engineer at Genentech.

Meredith Reynolds, FPPA ’04 SF, began a new position for the City of Long Beach as its sustainability coordinator in the City Manager’s office. For the past two years she has been in the Planning and Building Department.  She is excited by the multitude of green projects ahead.

Steven Strauss, FPPA ’82 SF, is the author of the Small Business Bible and is a columnist for USA Today.  He resides in Portland, Oregon.

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DONOR RECOGNITION

Coro would like to thank the individuals and organizations that provided
valuable financial support since the last issue of The Journey:

Annual Fund Supporters

Therese Burton Robert Fleri Thomas Sullivan Libby Schaaf Paul Sittenfeld Larry Simi Katherine Fraser in honor of Betty Schafer Ken and Molleen Matsumura

Exploring Leadership Supporters

Citibank
The Curran Foundation
Macy’s
Jane F. Curran Charitable Trust
John Iannuccillo
Oakland Unified School District

Fellows Program In Public Affairs Supporters

American Red Cross-Bay Area Chapter
Barbary Coast Consulting
Big Tent
Center for Partnership Studies
Citibank
Hewlett Packard
Guy Houston for Assembly
Personal Insurance Federation of California
The Miles Law Firm
Aaron Read & Associates
San Francisco Mental Health Education Funds, Inc.
San Mateo Labor Council
SEIU Local 1021

General Operating Supporters

NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company

Third Program

Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

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OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY

For a listing of current opportunities please click HERE.

Announce your Job Opportunities through the Coro Website by going to: www.coro.org/submitjob

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CONTACT US

Coro’s main number is 415-986-0521

Alphabetical Staff Roster

Name	Title	Email	Ext.
Minden Bennion	Fellows Program Director	mbennion@coro.org	104
Toni Cassar	Operations and IT Manager	tcassar@coro.org	100
Amy Chan	Youth Programs Director	achan@coro.org	105
Tracey Jones	Donor Relations Manager	tjones@coro.org	106
Katie Koski	Outreach and Communications Manager	kkoski@coro.org	103
Patrick O'Heffernan	Director of Finance and Development	poheffernan@coro.org	107
Ben Polansky	Youth Programs Manager	bpolansky@coro.org	102
Jeffrey Sosnaud	Executive Director	jsosnaud@coro.org	101

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YOUR SUBMISSION HERE

Please help us keep the JOURNEY relevant and timely by sending us your information on events, jobs or other items of interest. Please send your submission to Katie Koski. Coro Center for Civic Leadership regrets that we are unable to promote fundraising events for other organizations.

To prevent mailbox filters from deleting mailings from Coro Center for Civic Leadership, add corojourney@coro.org  to your address book.

 

 The JOURNEY, a publication of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership–May 2008