Washington County Leadership Institute participants meeting at Greenland Point Center in Princeton, Maine. Photo courtesy Sunrise County Economic Council
The Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) in Machias is the winner of the Maine Community Foundation’s 2009 Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence. The council is being honored for its Washington County Leadership Institute. The award includes an unrestricted $10,000 grant.
“The 2009 Noyce Award selection committee was particularly impressed with the structure, organization, and breadth and impact of the institute’s leadership program,” said Meredith Jones, MaineCF president and CEO. “We salute the council and its staff on helping to build a cohort of leaders that are making a difference in Washington County,” she said.
Founded in 1997 as a partnership of the SCEC and the University of Maine at Machias, the institute trains between 12 and 20 residents from throughout the county in leadership fundamentals. Class participants have a range of professional and personal experiences, from small business to education to health care. The four-month-long program’s goal is to create a pool of Washington County citizens who have the critical skills, insight and networks to lead effectively.
The focus of this year’s Noyce Award was “Strengthening Community by Building Leadership.” Special consideration was given to programs that serve individuals and groups typically underrepresented. MaineCF received 35 nominations for the 2009 award. The other finalists for the award were Cultivating Community, Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, Advocacy Initiative Network, and Camp Ketcha.
The Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence honors philanthropist Elizabeth Noyce (1930-1996), who was dedicated to supporting the health and development of Maine’s nonprofits. Past Noyce Award winners include the Maine Migrant Health Program, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Maine Mountain Sustainable Development Initiative, and Franklin County Community College Network.
December 17, 2009