16 Graduates Members Hone Their Skills in ASRT Leadership Academy To Bolster Affiliate Societies

BY CATHY DRESSEN, M.H.A., R.T.(R)(MR)

"THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY was an unbelievably great experience that provided me with an avenue to learn and experience the inner workings of leadership at the local and national levels. The skills and knowledge I gained will permit me not only to be more involved, but be a better-prepared leader,” said Richard B. States, D.H.Sc., R.T.(N), CNMT, of Mount Blanchard, Ohio.

Richard and 12 other aspiring leaders participated in the online ASRT Leadership Academy with three directors of the ASRT Board. As graduates of previous Leadership Academies, ASRT Board members Donna Thaler Long, M.S.M., R.T.(R)(M)(QM), FASRT; Sandra Hayden, M.A., R.T.(T); and

Graduates of the 2011 ASRT Leadership Academy gather in Albuquerque, N.M., at the conclusion of their program. In the front row from left are Christie Bolton of Alabama, Kameka Rideaux of Texas, Brenda Greenberg of North Carolina and Lisa Laird of West Virginia.

In the middle from left are Heather Thompson of Wyoming and Loraine Zelna of Pennsylvania.

In the back row from left are Nick Grillo of California, Joy McBride of Indiana, Kelly Brown of Michigan, Richard States of Ohio, Mark Harder of South Dakota, former ASRT Vice President Michael Latimer of Florida, Bernadette Ruchwa of Massachusetts, ASRT President-elect Donna Thaler Long of Indiana and Speaker of the House Sandra Hayden of Texas. Not pictured is graduate Gary Lunger of New Jersey.

Michael Latimer, B.S., R.T.(R), took this new version of the program to ensure its effectiveness for affiliates.

This six-week online course, which ASRT will offer again this fall and next spring, teaches medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals the leadership principles of association management. The Leadership Academy also teaches participants how to navigate through and resolve affiliate society issues. Topics include communication, policy and procedure development, membership recruitment, public relations, parliamentary procedures, advocacy, strategic planning and leadership styles.

Participants learn, share and network through Web-based discussion forums and a half day of face-to-face education in Albuquerque, N.M. The skills they learn strengthen their abilities in their jobs and perhaps ignite ambitions to serve nationally as part of the ASRT Board of Directors.

“The greatest takeaway for me was building relationships with people who are professionals and display a vast array of strengths,” said graduate Nick Grillo, A.S., R.T.(R), of San Francisco. “What a wonderful resource it is!”

What better way to aid your affiliate than to send emerging leaders to the Leadership Academy? It empowers affiliate leaders, inspires them to further develop their own leadership goals and 

"The greatest takeaway for me was building relationships with people who are professionals and display a vast array of strengths."

motivates them to dedicate their time, talent and expertise toward the success of their affiliate societies.

Graduate Christie W. Bolton, M.A.Ed., R.T.(R), of Thorsby, Ala., summed up her experience with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “‘What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.’ It is important for us to lead by example and not by word of mouth. The Leadership Academy assisted me in getting my focus back as a leader so I may assist my affiliate with much needed restructuring and regeneration.”

Congratulations, 2011 Leadership Academy graduates!

CATHY DRESSEN, M.H.A., R.T.(R) (MR), is ASRT affiliate relations program manager. She has been an ASRT member since 1994.

SIDE NOTE: Check the ASRT website at www.asrt.org > Affiliates & Governance for information on the next Leadership Academy.

©2011, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission of the ASRT for educational purposes.

Click here to download the original article taken from the August/September issue of the ASRT SCANNER.