PNLC Adjuncts Honored with Nonprofit Leadership Awards
A highlight of this year's Nonprofit Leadership Conference, co-sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the PNLC, was the announcement of the first-ever Minnesota Nonprofit Leadership Award winners. We are very proud that two PNLC adjunct faculty, Kate Barr and Michael Wirth-Davis, earned two of the three awards.
Kate was named the 2010 Visionary Leader for developing and implementing creative and effective organizational leadership strategies, and for creating and nurturing valuable collaborations and partnerships to advance the work of nonprofits, resulting in tangible benefits to the community. Kate is the Executive Director of the Nonprofits Assistance Fund. Most recently, Kate taught PA 5003: Introduction to Financial Analysis and Management.
Michael was honored with the Transformational Leader award, acknowledging his dedication to the nonprofit sector in over 20 years of leading Minnesota nonprofits, and his contributions to the success and knowledge of other nonprofits and nonprofit leaders. Michael is the President and CEO of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota. Most recently, he taught PA 5101: Management and Governance of Nonprofits.
We also congratulate Jeff Freeland Nelson of MPR, who received the Catalytic Leadership award.
In accepting her award, Kate remarked, "Thank you, and I need to tell you that in-between visioning and leading, there's a lot of work! I have two plates on my office wall. One reminds me to ask 'Why?' and the other reminds me to ask 'What If?'...Leaders have to be willing to let others take risks and to be accepting if it doesn't always work out. We have to be enthusiastic about learning and changing."
Michael noted, "Leaders believe in abundance, not scarcity; giving gifts and receiving gifts from others; not being afraid of messy work, of being wrong, of working hard, of drawing energy from giving and serving, of seeing potential in small and big things, of borrowing practices and ideas from others and sharing freely your own. Leaders believe in going with your gut, numerous starts and lots of stops; taking risks. Leaders believe in being dissatisfied with what is and optimistic about what could be."
Congratulations to Kate and Michael, and all our amazing PNLC adjuncts, who inspire our students to be leaders every day.
