Last month, the special assistant to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson sought out Amanda Affonso, Joel Tennison and a few other Calgarians to check the city’s pulse – to sound them out on the issues, challenges and successes taking place in Calgary.

It was a meeting that Affonso, 26, and Tennison, 25, couldn’t have imagined taking place.

More remarkable in Tennison’s case is that he only arrived in Calgary three years ago, not knowing a soul.

Today, Tennison and Affonso serve on numerous community boards, spearhead local projects and, if they need help from someone in the city’s Who’s Who of movers and shakers, they just pick up the phone.

Larry MacDougal, Business Edge
As graduates of Leadership Calgary, Joel Tennison and Amanda Affonso describe the program as a catalyst in their lives.

It’s the same story for the other 118 people who have taken part in Leadership Calgary, a program that helps develop “emerging” leaders who possess a strong sense of community. Based on a standard template, the program operates in 700 U.S. cities and 18 in Canada, including Edmonton, and is designed to foster an attitude of taking a big-picture approach to problems by connecting influential people in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

“It was a catalyst in my life,” says Affonso, a regulatory analyst in the electricity industry. “It made things happen a lot faster for me. I probably would still have done the things I’m doing in the community, but this opened doors much faster, connecting me with a great network of people.”

Later this month (March 20), Leadership Calgary holds its annual recruitment breakfast, a chance for interested people to learn more about the non-profit program that began here in 1999. Each year, 30 candidates are accepted. The average age is about 40, and successful applicants make a 10-month commitment that includes attending a fall retreat, monthly meetings to discuss community issues and participation in a community project. A $2,500 tuition fee covers expenses.

“For people who have more time (to give) there’s so much more, an incredible smorgasbord of activities and programs to sample from, to really explore and enjoy,” says program manager Susie Sparks.

Every year, 10 people from each of the private, public and non-profit sectors are chosen to participate from approximately 85 applicants. At the retreat, recruits are taught about “transformational leadership,” which encompasses the notion of self-examination, understanding personal values, and recognizing strengths and weaknesses as a leader. At the same time participants are taught to “look from the balcony,” to identify systemic solutions to community problems, such as those involving the homeless, youth, aboriginal affairs and education.

“People leave the program with a strong sense of community, but also understanding that the best change is made through huge coalitions of people who work across systems,” says Sparks. “They are able to bring those people together to make the most effective use of time and resources. That’s happened time and again, a lot of great people bringing great ideas to the table.”

Affonso and Tennison met at the Class of 2001’s fall retreat. She calls the program’s impact contagious; he defines it as exhilarating.

Affonso had graduated from the University of Calgary in 2000, where she had become heavily involved in student affairs. A friend had described the program and she was intrigued.

“The first day of the retreat was an eye-opener for me in the sense that I realized that I was going to be part of something that was really fantastic,” she says. “I was one of the youngest people, so I was able to learn from 29 people who have done everything imaginable. They were from all walks of life and had tons of experience working in the community, being leaders in the workplace.”

Throughout the 10 months, she learned about community issues through group members with vested interests, via guest speakers and by participating in community projects.

Interested in youth, she discovered that hundreds of initiatives exist in Calgary. Applying the philosophy of taking a big-picture approach, she and Sharon Mulligan discovered a thriving leadership program within Lord Beaverbrook High School. Acting as advisers, they directed the students to outside resources and opportunities. At the same time, they developed a manual to replicate the Beaverbrook program.

“The program started three years ago with 10 kids who wanted to make a difference – they’d seen violence and cliques, and things they didn’t like,” says Affonso. “Now they have 150 kids in the program . . . they’ve created mentorship programs, fund-raisers, awareness days. These are average students from Grades 10 to 12, with great diversity. Our plan is to help implement this in other schools, other cities in the province and maybe across Canada.”

If she and Mulligan need help, they know Leadership Calgary alumni are available – including Tennison.

Much like Affonso, Tennison discovered his affinity for community involvement at the University of Alberta. A juggler and street entertainer at age 13, the Sherwood Park native grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit and an appreciation for the diversity of people he’d encountered as a busker.

He originally moved to Calgary to work for Nortel, and has since switched to Malibu Engineering and Software as its manager of communications.

From not knowing anyone in Calgary, and primarily through Leadership Calgary, he’s developed an impressive network of friends and associates.

Tennison sits on the board of the United Way and is involved in helping another Leadership Calgary member develop Sage Theatre, a “theatre of immediacy that gets at current themes and issues.” He is also a driving force at Canada 25, a national group devoted to revitalizing the roles of young Canadians in Canada’s public policy debates. Along with Affonso, he belongs to a small group of alumni and business leaders who organize the Young Leaders Luncheon series through the Canadian Unity Council.

Tennison and Affonso agree that Leadership Calgary taught them things can get done if a project is worth doing. “If you have an idea, I’ve found that you can get an audience with people,” says Tennison. “It doesn’t mean that everything goes your way, and you have to be selective in terms that you aren’t calling all the time. But my experience is that people are for the most part willing to take the time to connect with you.”

And sometimes it works the other way – when important people such as the Governor General want your opinion.

For information on the March 20 breakfast meeting, e-mail ssparks@leadershipcalgary.ab.ca

Web watch:
www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/LeadershipCalgary
www.leadershipedmonton.com