John W. Gardner Regional Stewardship Academy

Prior to his death in 2002, Gardner authorized the use of his name in conjunction with an Academy created and executed by the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. Starting in 2007, the Gardner Academy will become a transformational executive leadership development program for private sector, civic and public sector leaders working to engineer change at a regional scale. .

"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities - brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems."

- John W. Gardner

Columnist Neal Peirce tribute to John Gardner

Target participants might be, for example, a business leader slated to chair the principal business-led civic organization in region, or the new President of the local community foundation, or the new President of the United Way, or the incoming CEO of the regional transit agency

Working with best-in-class practitioners as faculty, and with a curriculum developed and advised by regional practitioners, the Academy will emphasize real-time regional problem solving. Participants will learn and practice the art of engineering change and organizing and building support for their own regional initiatives. Through the case study approach, participants will come to understand and develop fluency in policy and political analysis; communications; public opinion research; successful advocacy, both the “inside” campaign and the “outside” campaign; and the organization, structure, staffing, and resources necessary to support a successful change process.

The Academy will be offered on a very selective basis to 15-20 senior regional leaders from around the country, held once or twice a year for 3 or 4 days, perhaps with a university or other prestigious partner. Participant fees have not been determined, but will probably be in the range of $5,000 to $7,500, with partial scholarships underwritten by local or national challenge grants.

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