Greetings Colleagues, I trust you're well today. We're quickly approaching the Feburary 16-19 Leadership Institute Kick-Off Session! The Leadership Institute scholars bring a wide range of perspectives and library experiences to the Kick-Off Session. Twenty librarians from thirteen institutions have been selected to participate, representing the public, private and community college sector. The Kick-Off Session will include a number of dynamic topics such as People Skills in Action, SWOT Analysis and Generational Differences, and the Paradigm Shift of Leadership. Faculty will provide theoretical instruction and practical lessons while assisting scholars in formulating goals to improve the libraries on their campuses. I'm very excited about the team who will provide instruction at the Kick-Off. Dr. Flavia Eldemire is Lead Instructor for the Institute. She is President of Eldemire & Associates, and provides consultation and professional coaching on a variety of career and business issues. Her services include strategic long and short-term planning, goal setting and values clarification. Co-Instructor Reginald White is president of Toran Enterprises, a management consulting firm specializing in executive and life coaching, diversity management and leadership development. Reginald is a member of the Les Brown Platinum Speakers Group and has expertise in marketing, diversity and leadership development. Mentor Consultant Marvelyn Thomas is Human Resources Director at the Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library (GA). She served as Mentor Consultant for Leadership Institute III and brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and action to the mentoring process. Specific to Human Resources, Marvelyn's expertise are in the areas of talent management, succession planning, performance management, employee relations and recruitment. Mentors will receive training at the Kick-Off to prepare them to guide and support an Institute scholar. Dr. Barbara Reid is the keynote speaker for the Kick-Off Session. Director of Equal Opportunity and Inclusion at Lesley University, Cambridge (MA), Dr. Reid has spent most of her professional career working at Harvard, Tufts, Bentley, and Lesley Universities. She earned her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a concentration in Organizational Development and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Counseling from Northeastern University, Boston (MA). Following the Leadership Institute, adjunct instructors will teach six web-based classes and host two discussion forums over an eight month period on topics such as Financial Leadership in Libraries, Emotional Intelligence and Performance Management. I'm so very proud of this group of Leadership Institute Scholars. They are highly skilled, engaged, and ready to raise their standard of service to our institutions. I'm honored to share this leadership development journey with them. Respectfully, Sandra SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.