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Meeting Minutes:
July 12, 2011
September 21, 2011
April 2012
Strategic Plan
Governance Policy Manual
The Governing Council (GC) wants to offer you an update on our Center governance, opportunities to learn more, and welcome dialogue and feedback from the community on governance.
On Shambhala Day 2012, I announced that the GC adopted a new form of governance and a Policy Manual. The Manual integrates Shambhala mandala principles and Policy Governance principles. The process to get us to that point began with the Kalapa Governance Gathering the Chicago Center hosted March 2011. Chicago is the first urban center to adopt this form of governance. We were informed and inspired by Dorje Denma Ling, which was the first land center to adopt this form of governance.
The GC’s unique contribution within our Center is that it focuses on linkage, policy and assessment: linkage to the center of the mandala, expressing our values in policy, and assessing how we are doing in manifesting our values.
As part of our Policy Governance implementation, we formed an Executive Council to focus on the implementation of Center goals and objectives. The Executive Council consists of leaders in areas such as Practice and Education, Communications, Societal Health and Well Being, Finance, Communications, Outreach and Facilities. The Executive Council, chaired by Center Director Tom Adducci, is the “make it so” body that devises creative means to express our values in what we do and who we are. Having separate governance and executive councils is similar to how the center of the mandala is organized.
Here’s an example of how this governance works: the GC values how Center members, participants, and guests are treated – there is a policy on this in the Manual. Tom coordinates with staff and volunteers to do such things as have an accessible as possible facility and a financial aid offering. The GC does not tell Tom specifically what he should do, but rather gives him the parameters in which to come up with creative means to this end, which includes his engagement of volunteers and other leaders.
In short, the GC governs for the benefit of countless beings and governs on behalf of the lineage of Sakyongs. The work of the Governing Council begins with our personal connection with the Sakyong, who asks that we cultivate great confidence in our basic goodness as individuals, and as a society.
I encourage you to contact me with your thoughts and questions at 312-802-9290 or g_m_caruso@yahoo.com. We’ll also be in touch on a more regular basis.
Sincerely,
Gina Caruso
Chair, Governing Council
Descriptions of Sectors and Posts:
Gina Caruso, Chair, Governing Council - Job Description
Tom Golz, Vice-Chair, Governing Council - Job Description
Barbara Wolkowitz, Chair, Programming, Practice & Study - Job Description
Thomas Adducci, Center Director - Job Description
Gretchen Neve, Chair, Community Council - Job Description
Ellen Schweri, Chair, Finance Sector - Job Description
Ira Abrams, Rusung, Kasung Sector - Job Description
Description of the Governing Council - Council Description
Community Sector - Sector Description
Program, Practice & Study - Sector Description
Dorje Kasung - Sector Description Finance Sector - Sector Description
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