Read the companion piece “APCO Announces New CPE Graduates“

Class President Cheryl Konarski addresses her fellow Certified Public-Safety Executive Program graduates January 26. She challenged them to use their knowledge and experiences to “shape the future of our profession and organization.”

When we began this journey seven months ago we had various relationships; some of us knew each other; some knew of each other; and still others were names on the roster. As I sit writing this I’m listening to the conversations around the room; they tell me how far we’ve come as a team. We’ve progressed from our online course where we shared thoughts and ideas to these last two intense weeks of focused study, discussion, and sharing of thoughts and experiences, bringing all our lessons learned together. Today we celebrate that milestone as we graduate from CPE Class 3.

[CPE Program instructors] Marcia [Harnden] and Dr. Bob [Miller] led us through discussions on types of leadership – transformational, servant, situational, adaptive and others. We examined our particular leadership styles. We learned what emotional intelligence is and how it affects our competence and commitment. Assessments and quizzes and personality tests were completed and reviewed, studies of our organizational climate were performed, and individual vision statements we created were shared. We discussed Kotter’s eight-step process and how it is used to formulate change in our centers. We discussed ethics and how our values shape our ability to lead. That was just the first 24 weeks.

We arrived here for our capstone course. We all agree this was one of the most intensive experiences we’ve ever had. Previous classes have shared with us that [CPE Program instructor] Dr. Steve [Edwards] would “blow our minds”, “change our lives.” They were absolutely right. We hit the ground running and never looked back. All the lessons learned over the last 24 weeks came together here as we began the final portion of this course.  We delved into case studies, shared life stories and crucible moments, discovered our true north and discussed ethics and trust.  We studied other leaders and how they developed their style.  We were challenged, learning to think outside the box our perception of leadership. We developed our personal leadership and organizational plans.  A safe place was created here to really delve into our own reflection of what we want to achieve for both ourselves and our agencies. Frustrations, achievements and moments in between were shared without judgment.

As important as the lessons and examples were, the personal aspect of the course, the getting to know each other was one of the highlights of the last two weeks. We bonded over discussions in class, shared meals and late nights doing homework. We spent many evenings downstairs just hanging out, simply enjoying being together. We spent time away from class, further deepening our friendships and shared experiences. We laughed, faced challenges together, talked about our families and just hung out when we could. We shared our interpretations of the material and opened each other’s eyes to new possibilities. We spent our last evening here as a family at the dinner table, taking those last few opportunities to be together. In our discussions we discovered that our agencies have many of the same issues they struggle with, which is strangely comforting, and seeking the same types of solutions. It helps to know we are not alone in these moments.

We’ve grown so much during these weeks that we spent together. This nucleus we have developed and nurtured will stand by us during our progress forward. We often are the hardest on ourselves – use your CPE classmates to keep yourself grounded when you need help. Whether it’s determining the next step to take, or you are looking at something new and want to have other ears to bounce ideas off of, we are here for each other – always remember that. So are our instructors. Use those resources. Both you and your agency have committed to your continued growth – that says just how important this is to you.

We’ve been given challenges through the course. I also want to challenge each of you. Find someone you know who will benefit from this course and encourage them to apply. Show through your leadership how much this has impacted you and what it can do for others. Mentor them (just don’t share too many secrets). You are the catalyst that will keep this program moving forward. Take that challenge seriously and seek to help grow the ranks of CPE alumni.  When you have those “aha” moments, share them with us so we can enjoy your journey as well. Also share them with [APCO staff members] Tim [Scanlon] and Sarah [Burtner] as they continue to push this work forward.

We also ask, as a class, that APCO use us moving forward. As we contribute to our agency, we also want to contribute to the profession as a whole. Give us the opportunity to pay it forward by helping shape the future of our profession and organization. As alumni we have earned and take on that responsibility.

As we part ways, remember the words of Dr. Steve – “Show up, work hard, tell the truth, be nice”. It’s been my honor and my privilege to be with you on this journey of leadership. I look forward to our continued adventures. With that…”I love you all dearly, now get back to work!”