AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter 2010 ANNUAL REPORT Message from the Chair With that resulted. Another in fits and starts due to Hur- necessary to succeed in 2010 three major success was the ricane Ike and the financial in spite of its difficulties. I fellows HISD Café Dialogue downturn. After year-end hope all of you express your pro- (see article on page 4), we learned that The Fondren thanks to her and the staff grams which provided a unique Foundation approved a for an excellent job well running opportunity for both $100,000 grant for the fund, done and support their work simulta- HISD insiders and com- a major milestone in our in making our organization neously munity members con- quest to bring the fund to even better. again, cerned about the Dis- $1.5 million (it now stands It was great to see 260 Sen- Saenz 2010 trict. While the Reunion at approximately ior Fellows at the Jaworski was a year of both new and Senior Fellows Re- $875,000). I hope that those Dinner in May and I hope to and continued suc- treat are both wonderful, of you who have not yet see many more of you at the cess. Our first Criminal my favorite remains contributed to the scholar- 2011 Dinner and at other Justice Class graduated Chez ALF: Dinner in My ship fund will remember the ALF events during the year. in March, and our ven- Home and I encourage importance of having all ture into this new sector anyone who has not yet perspectives in your class, My Best, was good both for the 22 attended one of these including those from fellows Gracie Saenz (Class XIII), participants and, I be- dinners to participate in a who needed scholarships to Attorney lieve, for our commu- very special event. help get them there. nity. As with other ALF By the end of 2010, we Special thanks to our Presi- classes, members were had raised more than dent, Harriet Wasserstrum, enthusiastic about the $150,000 in the En- and her staff, for their excel- new relationships they dowed Scholarship cam- lent skills in providing our formed and we have al- paign that has proceeded organization the support ready seen collaborations 2010 Senior Fellow Activities Inside this issue: It was a busy year. More April August than 70 percent of Senior • Nonprofit Leadership • Strategic Plan Input Session Fellows participated in an Collaborative: Jennifer 2 October Strategic Goals event, nominated someone James – Thinking in • A Conversation with Albert for a Fellows Program, or Future Tense Schweitzer Fellows 3 paid dues. Below is a list Financial Report May • World Café Dialogue with of events held in 2010. • Joseph Jaworski Political Candidates January Award Dinner honoring • Chez ALF: Dinner in My Jaworski Dinner 4 • Reunion and Annual Scott McClelland Home Meeting at JP Morgan • Criminal Justice Class November Chase Heritage Hall 2 Opening Reception HISD Café Dialogue 4 • Strategic Plan Input Session February July • HISD World Café Dialogue • Night at the Ensemble • Education Class 4 5 Theatre Opening Reception Hawkins Interview • ALF Book Club: Life March and Death of the Great • Medical Senior Fellows 5 American School Sys- 2010 Graduates Retreat tem by Diane Ravitch • Convocation on Public 6 Education Class XXVII Project AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM Page 2 Progress during 2010 on Strategic Goals included in the 2008-2012 Plan The website intro- increased learning by partici- duced at the end of pants and increased feedback to us. 2009 has expanded our capabilities, The series of questions focuses including the en- on what the participant wants to hanced monthly e- remember from the session, Touchstone, a better new practices they might try, online calendar with what they notice about them- RSVP capability, selves and others in the class and an ability to and their reactions to the class, accept payments and what they want the facilita- online. We have tors to know as we move for- posted articles about ward. “Each of us is boxed in Engage Senior Fellows Senior Fellows and our first two stories about community collabo- For the first time, the wilder- and doesn’t see all of Approximately 58% of our rations that would not have oc- ness facilitators for Ed Class 4 the connecting pieces. Houston-based Senior Fellows curred “But for ALF.” We plan to turned over planning each day ALF has connected participated in one or more continue to seek out such stories. we were in Colorado to the activities during 2010. Of some of the dots. We class which led to some really those who didn’t participate, Extend leadership good outcomes. can help others see some nominated candidates for development to other markets what is realistic. We the Fellows Programs and ap- It took just 35 invitations to In 2010 we offered Public Educa- can begin to make proximately half paid dues, recruit 26 strong leaders for tion Class 4 and Criminal Justice Class XXIX. More of the changes through our bringing this broader definition of participation to 71%. Class 2. We will do a third nominees knew they were being new relationships.” Criminal Justice class and a fourth nominated so the acceptance There were 15 opportunities Medical Community class in rate was somewhat higher than - Tyrone Tanner for Senior Fellows in 2010 as 2011. Other sectors that were in recent years. (Education Class 3), listed on the front page. considered included a second ALF well-branded, well- Associate Professor, Core program, Education Class 5, We continue to look for ways religion, and Houston growth. marketed Prairie View A&M to encourage cross-class con- During 2010, ALF succeeded in University tacts. The three current fel- Effective Fellows program lows programs had a joint ses- getting an article about Convo- sion with Rice Professor Steve The Curriculum Committee con- cation in Houston Community Klineberg that was well- tinued work with Jean Latting and Newspapers’ Memorial Exam- received. Class XXVI mem- Jean Ramsey (from UH and TSU iner. Our press release on the bers served as Senior Fellow respectively) to develop a tool to HISD Café Dialogue led to Contacts for Class XXVIII. measure the impact of the ALF coverage by Telemundo. Fellows Program. All three fel- The Class XXVI project which lows programs that started in both aimed to encourage Senior 2009 and 2010 took the “before” Fellows to update their infor- survey that is part of this Leader- mation on the ALF database so ship Research initiative. We con- it can be used more effectively tinue to work on the “after” sur- both by the ALF staff and by vey that will be administered both individual Senior Fellows to to these classes after graduation leverage their work in the com- and to all Senior Fellows. The munity and other networking next step is to figure out how really hasn’t happened yet, but what we learn should affect core may get some renewed atten- curriculum elements. tion in 2011. Our new individual class session evaluation process has led both to Page 3 Progress of Strategic Goals (continued) Maintain financial stability We continue to be financially • The Simmons Foundation: healthy, but the scholarship $15,000 - Public Education In 2010, Revenue (excluding fund is not sufficient to meet and Criminal Justice Fellows Leadership Research Initiative the needs for the three Fel- Programs and investment gains) was lows Programs we offer each • KBR: $10,000 - Public $686,000, about 6% below year. Our scholarship cam- Education Fellows Program budget primarily due to a short- paign started with Board • Chevron: $6,000 - Fellows fall in funds raised for the members at the end of 2008 Program; $6,000 - 2010 and Scholarship Fund. Expenses and was rolled out to Senior 2011Directory were $634,000 or 3% below Fellows in late 2009. • Fant Foundation: $1,000 - budget. Pledges to date total Public Education Fellows “I initially didn’t get the Net ordinary revenue was $151,000 and 75% of that has Program point of ALF. But when $27,000, which combined with already been paid. Serve as a resource for the Mike and Jo said they’d $25,000 in scholarship dona- Fee-for-service tuition covers Houston/Gulf Coast take the back and get us up tions produced reported reve- almost half of our expenses, community as a group we made it up nue of $52,000. but we are still dependent on The HISD Café Dialogue the mountain an hour Investment funds gained the annual gala, some pro- was a unique opportunity for faster than any other full $86,000 so the portfolio has gram grants, and Senior Fel- low dues to make ends meet. community leaders to engage group. That’s when I got recovered more than three- in a dialogue with the leader- fourths of the peak loss in Because we rolled out the it. We are very different scholarship campaign in Oc- ship of HISD. HISD appreci- 2008/2009. ated the opportunity to build people in the same type of tober 2009, we delayed a work yet we can work As of December 2010, invest- request for 2010 dues until awareness of and support for ment assets were $1.5 million: February 2010 and then sent the District’s strategic plan together. “ $771,000 (including $200,000 the 2011 dues request in No- and other participants valued so designated by the Board) is vember, so 2010 wound up the chance to have intimate - Joni Vollman restricted for scholarships; including two dues years for conversations with HISD (Criminal Justice 1), Chief, insiders. We have been $300,000 is an operating re- some Senior Fellows.