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Local nonprofit leader selected for prestigious American Express Leadership Academy & Aspen Institute fellowship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders
Phoenix, Ariz. (August 3, 2016) – The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation is pleased to announce that Jenny Oby, an alumna of Class VII of the American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center and current Director of Co-Curricular Programs for the Great Hearts Academies, has been selected to participate in the 2016 American Express Leadership Academy 2.0 at the Aspen Institute, a fellowship program for emerging nonprofit leaders. The Fellowship will take place at the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Meadows campus in Colorado from Sunday, August 21 to Friday, August 26, 2016.
Using the time-tested Aspen Institute method of text-based dialogue, the Fellowship program aims to provide the tools and perspectives necessary for effective, enlightened leadership. Nominations for the Fellowship were by invitation-only and 15 Fellows have been selected through a competitive process.
"It is testimony to our proven leadership development program, and to Jenny’s strengths, that she was selected for such a prestigious Academy as organized by the Aspen Institute," said Dr. Robert F. Ashcraft, executive director of the ASU Lodestar Center and professor of nonprofit studies in ASU’s School of Community Resources and Development. "Few are chosen from around the United States and we are encouraged that Jenny was selected and can bring back to Arizona new learning about leadership that can be put into action for the betterment of our communities," he added.
"Participation in the Aspen Institute’s leadership academy will allow Jenny to continue to develop her leadership skills and enhance her nonprofit acumen as she grows the social enterprise elements of Great Hearts Academies in Arizona and around the country," said Cassidy Campana, ASU Lodestar Center program manager for the American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center. "During her year in ASU’s American Express Leadership Academy, Jenny took steps to share her program curriculum with her team back in the office expanding the impact of the program’s work. I know she will utilize the skills she gains to benefit her team and Great Hearts Academies," she added.
As a member of the 2016 Fellowship class, Jenny joins a diverse group of peers and will explore core values that help to emphasize her professional work and share strategies to further amplify the Fellows’ leadership and community impact.
“I am elated to have been selected for this remarkable opportunity, and I’m humbled to join such an accomplished group of individuals as we engage in thoughtful dialogue on what it means to be an effectual, ethical non-profit leader in today’s world. My work at Great Hearts Academies affords me the opportunity to nurture young scholars who, through the contemplative examination of the Great Books of the Western tradition, are intellectually and morally prepared to forge a more just, humane, and philosophical society,” said Jenny Oby, 2016 Aspen Institute participant and American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center Class VII alumna. “I am thrilled that my appointment to the American Express Leadership Academy 2.0 at the Aspen Institute will so perfectly complement and enhance my work at Great Hearts, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity,” she added.
For additional information regarding any of the ASU Lodestar Center’s programs, visit lodestar.asu.edu.
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ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation is recognized as a national leader in undergraduate and graduate nonprofit education, research and technical assistance. The ASU Lodestar Center exists to enhance the quality of life in communities through the advancement of nonprofit leadership practices and provides knowledge and tools to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, professionals, board members, donors and volunteers by offering a selection of capacity building workshops, conferences, classes, and programs. For more information, please visit: lodestar.asu.edu.
American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center
The American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center operated as the Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy for six years. Now beginning its ninth year at ASU, this highly-effective leadership development program is now the American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center. Currently, over 30 individuals are selected through a competitive process to participate in the nine-month program beginning in August and ending in May each year. Each program day covers a variety of topics including, but not limited to, public policy and advocacy, collaboration, marketing and media relations, board development, donor relations, and leadership development. The American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center offers: increased awareness and understanding of the nonprofit sector and issues affecting its growth and prosperity; leadership skills development, cultivation and opportunities for engagement; and a broader network of personal and professional relationships. For more information, please visit: lodestar.asu.edu/leadership.