HISTORY
Saline Leadership Institute was founded in 1998 by Gretchen Driskell, Bill Lavery and Dan Stotz, who decided it was time to establish a framework for helping people in the community develop leadership skills that would in turn feed the volunteer organizations that were helping Saline grow and mature. Each year since then, approximately 25 community members have enrolled in SLI, representing commerce, education, government, business, and philanthropies in and around Saline. Today there are over 300 graduates armed with practical communication tools, valuable community connections and the confidence built over ten months of class experiences to become stronger members of their groups, organizations, workplaces and community. |
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SPONSORS
SLI is sponsored by the Saline Coalition for a Quality Community (CQC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Saline CQC works to create a network of cooperation and interconnectedness that promotes wise use of resources to serve the unique needs of our community. This is done by assessing community resources, facilitating groups working together and acting as a community clearinghouse.
CQC was created in 1995 and is composed of a group of involved citizens who meet monthly to get updates from each member about their community activities and to dialogue about issues and possibilities for improvement. This group serves as an umbrella non-profit for start-up groups which are approved by the Directors as beneficial to the Saline area community. Groups currently operating under CQC include:
- PUPS (Pick Up the Pace Saline!) - A group dedicated to improving the health of our citizens through physical activity, smoking cessation and healthy food choices
- PACT (Parents and Community Together) - A group that supports Saline parents and community members in working together to provide a healthy and drug-free environment for our youth
- 24 Hour Relay - An event held each year during Memorial Day weekend which raises funds for DARE, SADD and MADD
- SLI - Saline Leadership Institute
The Community Gardens started under CQC and has now transferred to Saline Area Schools Community Education. Other groups have included the Mayor’s Task Force on Domestic Violence, The Fifth Corner (a supervised teen center) and the Saline Area Sustainability Circle, which is now an independent group.