2019 has been a remarkable year of growth for Leadership Montana. As we settle into celebrating this passing year and decade, we look forward to starting a new chapter along with the new year. In a matter of days, the application process will open for our 17th flagship program and our third Masters Class. We hope you will help us find the next participants of both programs.
Our staff and Board of Governors look forward to the adventures that 2020 will bring each of us and the deep connections we will continue to make across our great state through Leadership Montana.
We wish you a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
My very best,
Chantel McCormick Schieffer
President & CEO
Class of 2010, Masters 2019
ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS
Each year, we acknowledge and celebrate our fellow Alumni that are using the lessons learned in Leadership Montana to serve their community and Montana. Please help us celebrate with an Alumni Award nomination.
Nominations close on March 1, 2020. Awards will be presented at the Celebrate Montana Dinner in Billings on April 23, 2020.
Current members of the Leadership Montana Board of Governors or staff are not eligible for nomination.
Alumni Leadership Award:
- Recognizes and promotes community involvement.
- Recognizes a Leadership Montana Alumnus or Alumna who has had a significant impact at the local or state level.
- Demonstrates outstanding leadership in keeping with and expanding the Leadership Montana philosophy in his or her community or the state.
- Serves as an example of leadership for others.
Past winners include:
2015 - Barbara Braided Hair
2016 - Duane Ankney
2017 - Eric Hyyppa
2018 - Michael Sanderson
2019 - Jen Hensley
2019 - Hatton Littman
Alumni Service Award:
- Recognizes and promotes alumni service to support the Leadership Montana program and/or alumni activities.
- Recognizes a Leadership Montana Alumnus or Alumna who has used their leadership skills, knowledge and resources to benefit Leadership Montana.
Past winners include:
2015 - Mike O'Neill
2016 - Carmen McSpadden
2017 - Chad Lippert
2018 - John Carmody
2019 - Heather Collins
2019 - Inaugural Men's Retreat Planning Committee
Make a New Year Resolution to Grow Your Leadership Skills
Do you want to learn to increase your personal capacity for courageously collaborating on issues that matter?
Do you want to identify the frequency of your personal leadership behaviors? And increase the frequency of those behaviors?
Do you need to inspire others to share a common vision?
Do you need to strengthen the ability of others to excel?
Do you need to build collaboration, teamwork and trust?
If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions then the Masters Class may be what you need this year. Established in 2017, the Masters Class is a shorter and smaller class experience allowing participants to dive deeper into their personal leadership journey in the supportive nature of the Leadership Montana setting. Led by nationally acclaimed leadership masters and including participants from various flagship program years, the Masters Class is truly a next-level experience.
Applications open January 2.
The Masters Class is a 3 session experience, with a 4th session class reunion the year following graduation.
Tuition is $3000, limited scholarships are available.
Session dates are:
November 10-13, 2020
February 3-5, 2021
April 28-30, 2021
Amy Kellogg, Class of 2013 and Masters 2020, Kalispell
My word for 2019 was Connection, it is one of my core values and important to my well-being. When I am talking with someone, I listen get curious and work to ensure they know they matter, to me that is connection.
In 2019 I have done many things to support that value. The most recent and one of the most impactful was applying for the Masters Class. With only our first session behind us, I can say that the connection from three days in Fort Benton was deep. We all recall the impact the Flagship program had on us. How it took a few sessions for us to connect with our classmates. With the Masters Class the connection is immediate. Let's face it, all LMT alumni are well versed in Gracious Space, we listen deeply, are curious, respect group norms and of course raise our hands to call attention to the front of the room. With these important basics engrained in each of us, my fellow classmates and I were able to dive right in to create connections.
While I was not too surprised by this, I was in fact surprised with the connection I had with “me”. We studied The Leadership Challenge which included 360 feedback and a self- assessment component. This connected me with my leadership style and behaviors in ways I had previously not considered. We did a deep review of our results which gave me tools to help encourage the positive ones and change course on those that need some tweaks. (Side Note: I was quite anxious about this component. So I listened to a 2019 Masters Class Member and took it as a gift which enabled me to embrace it with an open mind and heart.)
I was asked to be a panelist on Civility during the Class Room Conversations. As I prepared for this, I had the opportunity to connect with my past to see where my personal history of Civility comes from and how my parents modeled (or didn’t in some cases) for me.
Afterhours conversations found me connecting with fellow Masters on gender biases, weed control, the history of Fort Benton, families, and of course my love for Broadway theater and lipstick.
Connection… Leadership Montana is about many things and connection is a big one. I have known that since walking into Big Sky in September 2012… participating in the Masters Class has been a gift to further deepen the learnings and connections with my classmates and myself.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Scott Levandowski, Class of 2018, Bozeman Interviewed by Carl Nystuen, Class of 2019, Bozeman
Scott Levandowski, Market President of First Interstate Bank in Bozeman, looks back at the memories and lessons he gained as a member of the Leadership Montana Class of 2018.
A leader in the Bozeman community, Scott learned lessons of empathy and listening during the time he spent with his classmates and formed many friendships he feels he would not have otherwise formed. When asked to name his favorite memory of the class, Scott reflected on the time spent in the car with fellow classmates from Bozeman while traveling to each session. Those conversations, along with other classmates from other communities during and after class, allowed Scott to form a personal connection with each person in class.
Scott thinks Leadership Montana plays an important role in the state of Montana by training people to have civil conversations, which can help all parties have a voice at the table. When people take the time to listen, learn from one another, and understand where each side stands, success can be attained via conversation. These are the core reasons Scott believes the program has had the level of success it has over the years. He hopes more and more individuals from the state can continue to participate so we may all learn to work together for the benefit of the state.
Looking back at his career as a banker in the state of Montana – starting 22 years ago when First Intestate Bank opened a branch on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman – Scott summed up his experience with Leadership Montana as something he wishes he was still a part of. The lessons learned, friendships formed, and overall insights to the opportunities we have as Montanans truly made Leadership Montana an impactful year for Scott Levandowski.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
This month we shine our sponsor spotlight on Palladium Level Sponsor PayneWest Insurance. Since our founding in 2003, PayneWest has been a part of the Leadership Montana story. Chairman Terry Payne was one of a selection of business leaders tapped to help create our organization and many team members since have become alumni of Leadership Montana.
Leadership Montana is a non-profit collaboration of leaders from business, labor, healthcare, higher education, non-profits and government coming together to form a strong partnership for the betterment of Montana.
Leadership Montana exists to develop leaders committed to building a better Montana through knowledge, collaboration and civility.
My word for 2019 was Connection, it is one of my core values and important to my well-being. When I am talking with someone, I listen get curious and work to ensure they know they matter, to me that is connection.
