Douglas County water planner completes leadership training

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Emily Siira, water planner for the Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District, recently completed a one-year leadership development program sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The program, titled “The MASWCD Leadership Institute,” brought together 24 participants from across the state. The group was comprised of locally elected Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors, local SWCD staff, and staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

The group met for seven sessions and studied leadership topics including understanding personal leadership skills, developing a vision, practicing ethical leadership, effective communication, addressing conflict and facilitating effective organizations.

This was the eighth group to complete the statewide leadership program, which first began in 1996. The program is designed to build and enhance the leadership capacity of local natural resource agencies – enabling them to better serve the public and successfully address conservation and natural resource issues in communities throughout Minnesota.

The content of the program is designed and delivered by staff of the University of Minnesota Extension. A portion of the costs to conduct the program is provided through a grant from the Minnesota office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For further information about the program, contact the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts at (651) 690-9028 or visit the MASWCD website at www.maswcd.org.

Tags: douglas county, emily siira, business, siira, water