Justification Letter for Community Leadership Academy 200: Purpose & Core Competencies

Dear .....

I would like you to consider approving my attendance at the Community Leadership Academy 200: Purpose & Core Competencies program at the Vail Centre. The program starts with a two-day retreat and continues with 5 work sessions in which participants will develop their critical thinking skills in real world scenarios. The costs and benefits are detailed below.

Since I have completed Community Leadership Academy 100, the program will help me continue to hone my leadership skills, expand my network of confidants, as well as build trust and consistency between Eagle County businesses and agencies.The course also provides an opportunity for the practical application of these learned skills and strategies through roundtable discussions group collaboration, and case studies developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I will gain knowledge and experience by actively engaging in and leading various activities that can be used in my day-to-day role within the organization.

Last year, more than 96 graduated from the Community Leadership Academy programs and it is a highly-respected leadership program. I appreciate that my attendance will represent a investment in terms of time and money. After the course, I will provide you and the team with a full post-course report to ensure we get maximum value from the investment.

Today, we are faced with resource constraints, increasing demands from clients and ever-evolving challenges because of changing economic times. Now, more than ever, there is a need to increase our ability to implement effective leadership strategies for long-term growth.

The course takes place over seven months along with required pre-course work that I will undertake on my own time. This educational program will give me the opportunity to strengthen my ability to lead others in our organization as well as nurture leadership in my team. The course offers experiential activities, personal assessments and interactive feedback.

Below, I’ve outlined some of the immediate challenges that we are currently facing:

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Other benefits:

•  My attendance at this program will help me to:

o  Identify current issues within our organization and work groups

o  Encourage others to develop a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of complex issues internally and externally

o  Develop strong critical thinking & decision-making competencies

o  Shape my judgment and refine ethical scaffolding

o  Enhance my communication skills

o  Develop research-based justification and solutions

Full post-course report

Should you agree to send me to the course you can be assured that within 2 weeks of the completion of the program, I will provide you and the team with a full post-course report outlining the specific lessons learned and my recommendations.

Expense

The cost breaks down as follows: $

I believe that the specific benefits to me and the organization represent an appropriate use of our limited budget. I am confident that my attendance will pay dividends and I will work tirelessly to ensure that it will.

I would like to spend some time with you to find out what your requirements for my attendance would be and ensure that your expectations are met.

I appreciate your consideration of my request. If you require any further information at this stage, please let me know.

Sincerely,