Heroism Shines Light on Appreciation

While the circumstances were quite bad for Tony Wagner on Aug. 1, 2007, they could have been worse if not for his employee, Jeremy Hernandez.

The school bus the entire world saw precariously leaning on a guardrail of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis on Aug. 1 was transporting 61 children and adults for the Waite House community center, operated by Wagner’s Minneapolis-based organization, Pillsbury United Communities. Pillsbury is a member of the Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA).

Wagner, president of the organization, truly had a nightmare on his hands. But 20-year-old Hernandez, a summer gym coordinator, added hero to his title when he quickly kicked open the back door of the bus as it came to rest on the collapsed interstate and began helping kids and staff off to safety. Only a handful were hurt, none seriously.

This example of bravery and leadership brought my thoughts to all the staff members of Alliance and UNCA member agencies. Not to take anything away from Jeremy Hernandez, but I wonder how many kids are “saved” each year by the unsung frontline social workers in these organizations. How many families are kept intact and healthy due to the extraordinary efforts of Alliance and UNCA agency staff? Jeremy Hernandez provides an important public reminder that there is not enough value placed on the workforce of nonprofit human service agencies, and we need to remind the public of all the incredible efforts of the staff and volunteers in your agencies.

The Alliance has established a number of programs and services specifically meant to help our members nurture their staff and volunteers.

Among your staff are future leaders. The Alliance has been assisting members with succession planning for several years, and through our services we hope to encourage the succession to take place in house.

The Executive Leadership Institute (formerly called the Executive Management Institute) is in the process of being upgraded in order to be among the best nonprofit management programs in the country. Numerous future leaders trained and set out on their path after taking part in this intensive training. In 2008, this event will be held April 27-
May 2.

The New Age of Aging: Building Competency and Capacity in Human Services, the Alliance’s grant-funded program, will allow the Alliance to ready your workforce to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding population of older adults.

I can’t stress enough that the nonprofit human services workforce has an opportunity to make a positive impact on the quickly growing population of older adults in this country.

Together with Public Allies, the Alliance set out to find ways to create and/or strengthen pathways into nonprofit human service opportunities for young people with an interest in nonprofit work. The Turning the Tide program is working toward testing our innovative model that utilizes fascinating research with insight into both the barriers and opportunities to recruiting talented young professionals to nonprofit human service opportunities.

In 2008, the 40th annual Senior Leadership Conference will once again provide a stimulating atmosphere for senior leaders to network and learn. These rising stars of the Alliance network of peers will gain great knowledge from this popular event, and the Alliance is happy to guide them on their path.

The Alliance has formed a strategic partnership with Bridgestar, an initiative of The Bridgespan Group, to offer our members a wealth of resources to support activities related to attracting and retaining top talent. The articles, tools, job board, newsletter, and learning events offered by Bridgestar provide a competitive advantage for Alliance members.

You will frequently hear in the future about the importance of workforce development and how it will affect the future of human services. You can be assured that the Alliance will help you continue to uncover your heroes and leaders. We look forward to continued benefits for our members.