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At last October’s Board meeting, the Commissioner announced the start of the SED Leadership Academy and introduced to you the 26 members of the charter class.
We have reached the conclusion of this first session.  The benefits of the investment are already visible.  Academy members are more aware of their own leadership strengths and development needs.  They are confident in assuming demanding assignments because they are learning skills and strategies for leading.  Equally important, they are gaining a deeper understanding of how the parts of USNY fit together through their work on departmentwide projects, which are a component of the Academy.
During this month's meeting the Commissioner will reintroduce the charter class to you.  There will be brief summaries of the departmentwide projects and presentation of certificates to the graduates.
The Academy has become a key component of our succession management strategy.  As the first class graduates from the Academy this month, we will need to find more challenging work and development opportunities to allow them to continue to enrich their skills and abilities.  We also need to extend the opportunity to participate in the Leadership Academy to many other talented Department staff who would benefit. We have started to do this.  The second Academy began last month with an orientation session – even before the first session concluded.  Academy Week, which is the foundational experience for the class, will be held June 9-13th.
Finally, I would like to note the outstanding leadership and support that has been provided to the Academy program by Rebecca Kennard and her secretary, Dotty Gleeson.  The lead role will pass to Roswita Apkarian and Trent Graham, of our Office of Human Resources Management, as Leadership Academy II unfolds.