Finlay Awarded Prestigious CORO Fellowship
DUARTE, CA, December 7, 2011 - Margaret Finlay, Councilmember and 4-time Mayor of the City of Duarte, has been awarded the distinguished Coro Fellowship by the Southern California Association of Governments for the 2011-2012 academic year.
This prestigious fellowship is only granted to approximately 20 officials every year in the Southern California area. It is a 9 month program designed to help executives in the public and non-profit areas hone their leadership skills. Some of the topics to be tackled in the program this year relate to logic and understanding of outstanding school districts in areas that defy excellence in education, how Hip Hop has entered mainstream society and why it is here to stay, and the diminishing water resources in California.
The Coro Southern California Executive Fellows Program (EFP) is a part-time leadership program that enhances the skills of public officials to effect change in the communities they serve. Coro’s Executive Fellows Program is not academic in the usual sense of the word. There are no lectures. A rigorous curriculum, interviews, and regional site visits are coupled with ample opportunity for self- governance. This process transforms assumptions about the dilemmas faced by civic leaders and allows them to better understand how to create strong relationships to get things done.
The program is also an experience in individual growth and group dynamics. Coro’s goal is to help translate what the participants learn into effective action for improving their organization’s goals and outcomes, and to revitalize their leadership practice.
Margaret has an undergraduate degree in business from St. Mary's College at Notre Dame, Indiana and a Masters in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach. "Continuing education is the key to keeping abreast of the changes that are occurring every day in our state," Margaret stated. "If we don't seek to educate ourselves, then we are falling behind those cities that do have educated leaders. For that reason, I will continue to take time to keep our city ahead of the pack."
