by 
Elizabeth Magallanez
Pinal County Supervisor Pete Rios
Copper Area News
The Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition is looking for local residents to step up into a leadership role in local communities.
But they aren’t going to send those new leaders out into the public without a little training and guidance.
The Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition or CCEDC has partnered with Valle del Sol to bring a Leadership Academy to the Copper Corridor area.
Valle del Sol is an organization that offers primary care, behavioral health and social services to communities in Arizona and New Mexico. They were founded in 1970 to fill the gap in behavioral health and social services provided to the Latino community and underserved populations.
They also have a very successful leadership development program, the Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI), which is open to individuals of all diverse backgrounds. This is the program that the CCEDC plans to bring to the Copper Corridor.
The Hispanic Leadership Institute–Copper Corridor is a 10 week leadership institute designed to educate and assist individuals in developing their leadership skills to take an active part in the community by serving on a non-profit/government board or commission. The mission of HLI-Copper Corridor is “to promote individual development for increased participation in leadership roles and to serve as a principal education and networking resource for expertise and advocacy on leadership issues impacting Arizona communities.” HLI-Copper Corridor will proactively assist participants with tools and skills to prepare for leadership roles at the local level and beyond.
“I have had the pleasure of addressing the Valle del Sol Hispanic Leadership Institute for a couple of decades,” said Pete Rios, Vice-Chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. “I have consistently been impressed with the quality of candidates and the content of program. Besides teaching how to impact political and social systems, the Institute provides practical knowledge on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the governmental process. I would encourage anyone who is interested in improving the quality of life for themselves, family and neighbors to get involved with this terrific leadership opportunity and become a voice for societal improvement.”
The HLI-Copper Corridor plans on holding sessions in many different locations throughout the Copper Corridor so participants will be exposed to other communities and local leaders. The different sites have not been determined but will be based on those who plan to attend. Sessions will be held weekly for 10 weeks from 6-9 p.m. There is also a mandatory all day Leadership Retreat (date and location to be determined).
The curriculum will offer the participants an opportunity to become involved with top business and public policy authorities in a continuing dialogue about leadership and those issues important to residents of the Copper Corridor.
HLI-Copper Corridor has a competitive application process open to individuals of all diverse backgrounds. The tuition cost of the program is $200. The deadline for applications is Feb. 27. Sessions for HLI-Copper Corridor Class of 2015 begins Wednesday, March 18.
To apply go to http://bit.ly/19rJCS1. For more information call (602) 258-6797, extension 121 or email info@valledelsol.com.
Elizabeth Magallanez, President of CCEDC, is a graduate of the HLI Leadership Institute and is excited by the possibilities that this partnership brings to the Copper Corridor.
“The Copper Corridor has had the desire to sponsor a leadership academy that would be available to the residents of the Copper Corridor,” she said. “We are happy to announce that through a partnership with Valle del Sol we will be able to offer the HLI-Copper Corridor Leadership Academy in the spring.”
She said that this is a wonderful opportunity for anyone of diverse backgrounds who are interested in taking on more active roles in their communities to educate and assist them.
“As an alumna of HLI-Pinal, I enjoyed the 10 week curriculum and found myself anxious to get to the next class. Each session was extremely informative,” she said, “and sparked great discussions regarding the challenges we face in our communities such as community issues, public/media relation skills and board/ commission service and much more. This was a great networking experience and I can honestly say that I was truly inspired by some of the stories shared when we learned more about each other and our backgrounds. Most importantly I learned that we have to get involved and be part of the change.”
In 2013, she attended the HLI-Reunion “Renew the Commitment.” On the program, she said was a quote:
“Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own” – Cesar Chavez.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Magallanez said. “I encourage anyone who has had a desire to learn about leadership or how to become a more effective leader to join us for the first ever HLI-Copper Corridor Leadership Academy.”
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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