Two employees of Lincoln Land Community College recently graduated from the Academy for Leadership and Development. Julie Rourke of Chatham, director of workforce development, and Diane Clark of Hillsboro, assistant director of public relations, were selected by the college to participate in the leadership program.

The Academy for Leadership and Development was developed by the Chair Academy, a division of the Maricopa Community College District in Mesa, Arizona, to advance organizational leadership and provide succession planning for leaders in post-secondary institutions.

The Academy is a yearlong program which includes an initial week of on-site training, a practicum experience involving implementation of an individualized professional development plan, a mentor and coaching program, and a final week of on-site training. Some of the program topics include the complex role of the organization leader, work behavioral styles, building effective work teams, strategic planning and managing conflict productively.