EnVision April 2009 Volume 3 Issue 5
Downtown & Community Revitalization Department E-Newsletter
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ANALYSIS AND IMPACT
Eight Critical Leadership Questions
At some time, everyone in an organization must take a leadership role if it is to become a world class, responsive and agile entity. In this light, how many of the following questions can you answer in the affirmative?
1. Am I the type of leader I admire in others?
2. Am I building a personal foundation of inspired leadership?
3. Am I aware of my personal leadership impact on others?
4. Am I clearly aligned with the direction and vision of the leadership of the company?
5. Do I clearly understand the company vision and take the responsibility to keep my understanding of the vision current as the conditions change?
6. Am I clear and open in my dialogue with others, setting aside any hidden agendas?
7. Do I take leadership risks, holding myself responsible and accountable toward meeting the customer’s needs?
8. Do I work to, and hold others to the highest standards of ethics, integrity and excellence?
In a traditional organization, followers look to, and expect, their leaders to set direction, lead change, and in general, have all the answers on how to run the organization. However, in many of our organizational tasks, the line between leader and follower is a blur because of the complexity of situations and the need for quick decisions.
In a team environment of highly talented professionals, leadership has become a distributed process where all individuals realize they must lead, inspire and influence others, in order to realize the collective vision of the team. In our complex and fast moving world, a customer problem may in fact demand that an ordinary person make an extraordinary leadership decision to satisfy that customer need. Or consider an opposite example. How will you act when the customer need is in direct conflict with the good of the organization? This is a situation that requires true inspired leadership!
With this in mind, no matter what role they play or position they hold, each individual in the organization must look at their own leadership capabilities. Author Ken Blanchard states, “The key to successful leadership today is influence not authority.” Realizing that certain individuals within the organization do play key roles in a leadership position with clear lines of authority, the organization must also recognize and encourage every employee to adopt a pioneering spirit, including displaying leadership capabilities that will influence positive outcomes for the organization and the client. Said another way, the organization must think of leadership as a distributed process and depend upon leadership behavior by every individual at every level rather than a single act reserved for a single individual. This is especially important in a service-based industry where front-line employees are in high contact with the customer.
This reasoning and approach puts a high demand upon people in key leadership roles. They must look at one of their responsibilities to be that of coaching others to become more effective leaders. It is not so much that everyone will find themselves in a traditional leadership or supervisory role, but rather that they understand the attributes and traits of an effective leader and can use good leadership skills when needed.
These attributes include the following; taking personal responsibility, embracing change, being a future thinker, taking risks, being a persistent problem solver and persuasive negotiator, doing what it takes to have impact, exhibiting resilience to setbacks, enjoying challenges, having a high need to achieve, and constantly acquiring new knowledge. Filling the pipeline with individuals with these types of competencies will ensure the organization has the inspired leadership it will need to stay competitive now and in the future.
Roger M. Ingbretsen, Author, Speaker, Leadership Coach, Organizational and Career Developer. For more information, visit www.ingbretsen.com or call 509. 999. 7008.
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Yosemite International Airport's "Sense of Place" Campaign
Something BIG is happening this month at Fresno Yosemite International Airport! The month of April kicks off the creation of the Airport’s unique “sense of place” as giant replica Sequoia trees begin to emerge within the central terminal lobby. The “sense of place” will reflect our region’s connectivity to the three nearby national parks, giving passengers and visitors a first and lasting impression of the Airport and region. Four locations will be “forested” with such elements as Sequoia Firs, pines, fallen logs, and other foliage, including a walk-through Sequoia tree and burned out stumps.
Airport staff are partnering with the National Park Service on the authenticity of the project including trees, ground cover, park benches and other features that replicate the magnificence of the parks.
Community leaders and Airport partners will explore through the emerging forest with a hosted wine and hors d’oeuvres celebration on May 14 from 5:00 – 7:30 pm.
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CULTURAL ARTS
What’s a Museum Worth, Anyway?
Most of us appreciate the intrinsic benefits of the arts – their beauty and vision; how they inspire, sooth, provoke, and connect us. But when it comes time to make tough funding choices, it is important to be able to back up the intrinsic with cold hard facts. In the 2008 Fresno County Cultural Arts Economic Impact Study, sponsored in part by the City of Fresno, FCASH looked at the direct and indirect economic impact of 69 cultural arts organizations and 1,200 audience members throughout the county. The Fresno Metropolitan Museum was one of those organizations and is in the hot spot now due to financial challenges.
Since the museum reopened, approximately 90,000 people have visited the museum. Reducing that number by the nearly 25,000 who visited the museum for free during the opening weekend, that leaves 65,000 visitors. When you multiply that by the $30.21 per capita spending average for cultural arts participants in the county, it comes to $1,963,650 contributed to Fresno’s economy.
Now, while that doesn’t yet make up for the loan, it’s also not small potatoes.
The Fresno Met is THE largest cultural arts institution in the valley – from Bakersfield to Sacramento. It draws the most visitors and is a major destination for many people coming to Fresno. In an article by the Center for Community Arts and Cultural Policy on “The Museum's Community Role”, some of the roles listed were:
• Visitor attraction – If our downtown is our calling card, the museum is the "front porch" of the community, welcoming visitors and giving them an overview of what's special and unique about our community – about Fresno.
• Catalyst for change - Museums exists to deliver a message that will encourage people to think differently about their relationship to others and to the world. Innovational thinking is key to growing a thriving economy – a strong museum is an important partner in making that happen.
• of creativity -The first floor of the Met is a hands-on exhibit that engages children of all ages in activities where they think through science concepts in a tangible, visceral fashion.
• - Museums interprets the history of a place, person, cultural tradition, etc. in ways that relate the past to the present--and even to the future. The giant chicken in the recent exhibit on the Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight, graphically provided a means for children and visitors of all ages to understand the new and emerging ideas from world-class thinkers. And once you saw the giant chicken (that’s what the scientist from China called it), you’ll never be able to get it out of your mind that the world was very different from what it is today – a good thing for a young person to understand.
What is the Met worth? Much, much more than a building.
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DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Data and Downtown Revitalization
A key mission of the Downtown and Community Revitalization Department is to bring new life to the historic core of our Downtown. The Department's strategy is based on comparable "data" from successful revitalization efforts in other cities, and it includes:
• Adoption of a new Specific Plan, to guide and encourage urban development
• Support for a Property and Business Improvement District, to enhance owner participation in revitalization
• Sponsorship of new events, to create foot traffic on a more consistent basis, helping make new businesses viable
Like the strategy guiding the Department's work, the success of these efforts will be based on objective data. The Department is currently collecting a snapshot of initial data in these areas:
• Foot traffic counts
• Vehicle traffic counts
• Parking garage usage
• Sales tax generation
• Property tax generation
• Building permit activity
• Business license activity
By tracking changes in data in these areas over time, the Department and the community will be able gauge our progress toward revitalization.
Of course, numbers have their limits. Be alert for the intangible signs of vitality — the smiles you see as people talk about Downtown Fresno, the curiosity you hear from people interested in what's happening. After all, when you're having fun Downtown, you've got all the positive revitalization data you need.
For more information, contact Elliott Balch at Elliott.Balch@fresno.gov
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Downtown PBID group reaching out to property owners
Property owners are leading the effort to form a property-based business improvement district (PBID) in Downtown Fresno. But more input is needed. Any property owner who has not yet become active is encouraged to get involved.
More information is available at www.downtownfresno.org/pbid or ask questions by email (pbid@downtownfresno.org or jminami@downtownfresno.org) or by calling Jan Minami at 559.490.9966 or 559.859.1763 or Dan Doyle at 323.3320.
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Cinco de Mayo Festival good for business
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on Fulton Mall each year the first weekend in May. This year that celebration runs from Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3. While it is a family celebration of music and food that draws 75,000 people, it also offers businesses the opportunity to shine.
Businesses interested in providing a showcase for their products or services should contact the Downtown Association for more information at 559.490.9966 or info@downtownfresno.org. More information at www.downtownfresno.org/cinco.
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SUDZ in the City: May 23
Voted the best annual event in Fresno by readers of Fresno Magazine, SUDZ in the City will expand both microbrew and music options this year. Vendor opportunities are still available for food providers. Volunteers are needed. Contact Lillie at 490.9966 or sudz@downtownfresno.org.
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Downtown Dining Guide launches in April
With this guide in hand, you can locate any of the many fine eateries in Downtown Fresno. Jurors, convention goers and the Downtown Fresno workforce will all find it easier to enjoy lunch this spring and summer. Businesses can use this guide to assist customers in navigating Downtown Fresno.
Individual and bulk copies are available by calling the Downtown Association at 559.490.9966 or emailing <info@downtownfresno.org>.
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Fulton Mall Business Toolbox
Fulton Mall business owners are gathering this spring, block by block, to learn how community resources can bolster their businesses in these challenging times. Other businesses are welcome to attend.
More information is available at www.downtownfresno.org/business-toolbox.
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FILM, ENTERTAINMENT, & TOURISM
New CA Budget Stimulates Film Production
"Runaway Production" has been a negative buzz phrase for California film commissions and their jurisdictions since 1999. Starting in Canada, 43 states and over a dozen countries have successfully lured away up to 40 percent of our state's feature film production, accounting for a loss of over 10,000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenue. But, that's about to change as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation creating tax credits for film and television productions as part of an economic stimulus provision in the new state budget. The Fresno Film & Entertainment Commission (FFEC) predicts that California's beleaguered film industry will see a boost in production for the first time in a decade.
The California Film Commission is developing program guidelines and application procedures to allot $100 million in tax credits per year for five years to qualifying productions. In short, 20 percent tax credits will be available for feature films, movies-of-the-week and mini-series with budgets from $1 million to $75 million. And 25 percent tax credits for TV series and independent features with budgets of $1 million to $10 million.
The FFEC is optimistic that the program will spread the wealth throughout the state. This film incentive program is large enough to attract producers to keep their features in state and put local crews and locations back to work.
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GREEN ENTERPRISE
2009 Executive Forum “Growing a Green Economy”
by Racquel Palmese
The Executive Forum, which took place on Monday March 16, is a yearly invitation-only luncheon that brings senior state officials together with private sector leaders.
The 2009 forum, "Growing a Green Economy," took stock of estimates that California's climate change initiative could increase gross state product by $76 billion, boost household incomes by $48 billion and create 403,000 jobs. Speakers including Janet Lamkin, president of the Bank of America California, Victoria Bradshaw, Cabinet Secretary to the Governor, and CalEPA Secretary Linda Adams offered views on the strategies that can keep the state in its leadership position and support a federal call for change.
"Green is not just a color anymore, it's a frame of mind and a mode of operations," said Secretary Adams. "Today, more than ever, green is about proactive change and a giant leap forward for the United States as it enters a whole new era of leadership."
An economic development panel, moderated by sustainability expert Deeptika Patel, included Barry Sedlik, chairman of the California Green Collar Jobs Council and Adam Procell, vice president and national director of energy efficiency and carbon management for AECOM Energy. (Sedlik left the event early to join the Governor to announce the launch of the California Green Corps.)
Sedlik cautioned about the potential for stimulus funds to be spent in ways that bring only short-term relief. "How do we take this opportunity, this unique set of circumstances right now to the greatest benefit?, Sedlik asked. "We don't want to create jobs that won't go anywhere."
David Roland Holst, UC Berkeley Professor and co-author of the often cited Next 10 studies on the green economy, moderated the second panel on Energy and the Economy. He was joined by Jim Parks, Energy Efficiency and Customer R & D with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and Nancy Hartsoch, vice president of marketing for SolFocus. Holst evoked the potential of a smart grid that focused not merely on delivering energy, but on enhancing lives, while Parks gave examples of SMUD's efforts to increase customer control of energy use - as well as the source of the energy itself.
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LOCAL BUSINESS INITIATIVES
Primetime For Business
An Opportunity for Local Businesses to Shine
PrimeTime for Business will launch on April 7th at the Fresno City Council meeting as the first major local business initiative for the Downtown and Community Revitalization Department. As part of Mayor Swearengin’s efforts to promote our local business community, PrimeTime for business will provide an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their business and bring attention to the local business talent that thrives in our community.
The local businesses are chosen by set criteria and given the chance to make a ten minute public presentation to the Fresno City Council and representatives from City departments. As part of the regular Council meetings the presentations are also broadcast live on Comcast and available through the internet. The ten minute presentation gives the chosen business an opportunity to present their success story and explain why they continue to do business in Fresno.
The criteria to be chosen as one of the PrimeTime for Business extraordinaire are:
Existing Businesses
Locally owned (must have a business license registered with the City of Fresno).
Customer base must do at least 25% of its business outside the City limit.
The business must employ at least 10 local employees.
The business must do business with at least one other local company consistently.
Businesses have been in existence for three or more years
Enterprise and Empowerment Zone businesses are encouraged.
Start-up Businesses
Locally-owned
Will remain headquartered in Fresno
High growth potential companies
Tech, Green, Water Tech companies
Women and Minority owned businesses encouraged
Companies that will bring profits into the community.
If you wish to nominate your company or a local business that you believe deserves this opportunity, please contact Amy Huerta, Local Business Initiatives Manager at 621-8362 or amy.huerta@fresno.gov.
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SBA offers: The Basics of Writing a Good Business Plan
A business plan is one of the most important elements in any loan
application. Having a well-written business plan will certainly
enhance your chance of getting the necessary financing. By attending this workshop, you will gain the essential knowledge and insight
required to write a successful business plan.
• Importance of Business Plan
• Contents of Business Plan
Developing Cash Flow Projections
Projections are a must have for new or existing business.
Learn how to create and understand cash flow projections.
• Projected Sales
• Cost of Sales
• Cash flow
Location: U. S. Small Business Administration
2719 N. Air Fresno Drive, Suite 200
Fresno, California 93727
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Time: Registration 8:45 am to 9:00 am
Workshop 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Reservations are required as seating is limited. To make a
reservation, contact William Hori at (559) 487-5791 or at
william.hori@sba.gov.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities if requested at least two weeks in advance of the program. Please call the SBA at (559)487-5791 to make arrangements.
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NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION
Congress Expands AmeriCorps Volunteer Program
By Ann Sanner
Tens of thousands of Americans, from teenagers to baby boomers, soon will get a fresh chance to lend a helping hand in a time of need.
The House voted 275-149 Tuesday for a $5.7 billion bill that triples positions in the Clinton-era AmeriCorps program, its largest expansion since the agency's creation in 1993, and establishes a fund to help nonprofit organizations recruit and manage more volunteers. AmeriCorps offers a range of volunteer opportunities including housing construction, youth outreach, disaster response and caring for the elderly.
Congress was sending the bill to President Barack Obama, who often cites his years as a Chicago community organizer for giving him his political start. Obama has made national service programs a high priority. His budget proposal calls for more than $1.1 billion for the programs, an increase of more than $210 million.
The president, who began an eight-day European trip Tuesday, plans to sign the measure when he returns to Washington.
"I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country," Obama said in a statement.
With the nation plunging deeper into a recession, Obama and backers of the effort see it as a way to channel a rising desire among Americans to help their neighbors.
"History has ... shown that in time of crisis, Americans turn to service and volunteering for healing, for rebuilding and for hope. The spirit of generosity in the American people is one of the greatest assets of our nation," Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said during debate on the bill.
Applications to AmeriCorps have exploded with the plunging employment market. Last month, there were 9,731 applications submitted to the AmeriCorps online system, more than triple the 3,159 submitted in February 2008. In the AmeriCorps program, 75,000 people spend 10 months to a year helping build affordable homes or responding to disasters. Most receive an annual stipend of slightly less than $12,000.
Last year, more than 500 AmeriCorps members helped coordinate more than 200,000 Habitat for Humanity volunteers to build 1,700 new homes. Some AmeriCorps participants also helped families get ready for homeownership.
The bill provides for gradually increasing the size of AmeriCorps to 250,000 enrollees over eight years.
"People are feeling their own pain, but they're also feeling their neighbors' pain," said Alan Solomont, board chairman of the government-run Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps and will be in charge of overseeing new programs for middle and high school students and people 55 and over.
The legislation outlines five broad categories where people can direct their service: helping the poor, improving education, encouraging energy efficiency, strengthening access to health care and assisting veterans. People working in these new corps would provide such services as weatherizing homes or teaching computer skills to seniors or the unemployed.
The measure also encourages people to observe Sept. 11 as a national day of service and remembrance.
Mark Andrews, senior director for U.S. operations for Habitat for Humanity International, said the bill was "absolutely necessary" because it will provide the organization with more participants who have specialized skills in construction or family services. These AmeriCorps members are then able to train more volunteers.
"National service gives us the opportunity to bring in some of the best and the brightest, in terms of young people right out of school, as well as folks who have completed their career and want to give back to their communities in a more significant way," Andrews said.
People 55 and older could also earn $1,000 education awards by getting involved in public service. Those awards can be transferred to a child, grandchild or even someone they mentored.
Tom Nelson, AARP's chief operating officer, said the bill gives more older Americans the chance to apply their years of experience to helping others.
Nelson said his group is hearing from thousands of people who say, "How do I get involved, how do I help my community?"
"That older volunteer can be the ideal volunteer," he said.
The bill also ties volunteer work to money for college in other ways.
Sixth graders through high school seniors could earn a $500 education award for helping in their neighborhoods during a new summer program.
Education awards for AmeriCorps participants would increase from $4,725 to $5,350. That money can be used to help pay for college or help pay off student loans. Future increases would be tied to increases in the maximum size of Pell grants.
The bill is named for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has been its champion. Kennedy is being treated for brain cancer but returned to Washington last week to vote for the legislation.
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The bill is H.R. 1388.
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