ELI graduates can provide the best testimonial to the benefits of attending ELI. Three 2009 graduates provides some insight:

Bill Sabado of St. Vincent’s Services, Brooklyn, N.Y., is now the deputy executive director, a position he secured after completing ELI.

“They provided training on how to be a leader and a manager in these tough economic times, which was obviously very relevant. The leadership development and management skills they are teaching right now are timeless.”

“ELI does fortify a sense of network; that we aren’t in it alone. We realize we are all facing the same struggles and our frustrations on the programming level are the same or similar to the operations level and executive level. But we are just looking at it in different ways.”

“Where else would you get this level of supportive education in this time of your life? If you go to graduate school right now, it’s all on you. Here they work to get you the skills and they help to get you through. It makes you feel good about learning. I am getting a knowledge base times 10 that you would never get unless a college or university had something set up.”

Marcel Lue is director of residential services at Boysville, Converse, Texas.

“Eli has provided a high level of leadership development. I have been able to broaden my horizons in what it takes to be a leader and CEO.”

“I would tell anyone who is going to attend to go in prepared to work. This is not a standard ‘conference.’ This training involves going in from the first minute and the learning begins.”

“The information that they provide us to bring back to our jobs is so useful. For me, one that is aspiring to be a CEO, it is invaluable, because I have learned things like fundraising that aren’t in my job description right now, but will be hopefully one day. They covered everything from fundraising to being able to speak to the IT people and telling them what we want, and what we need.”

2009 graduate Marissa Espinoza, Wraparound program manager at Casa Pacifica, Camarillo, Calif.

“Casa Pacifica gains because I am more vision-focused now. I am a middle manager right now and I have learned what a person striving to become an executive leader has to have. I can now say I have many of those qualities. Having that type of perspective in someone who is involved in the day-to-day operations can help support the mission of the organization.”

“What has helped me a lot was organizational change management, being aware of the impact of changes on staff. I learned ways to maintain staff morale, encourage motivation, and make sure staff members are involved in the process.”

“With the economy the way it is, organizations are shying away from sending people off to training. The return on the investment is the development of people who are really focused on the future, focused on improving the organization and its quality, and seeking excellence. When you do a cost-benefit analysis of that, it is well worth the investment.”

More comments from attendees:

… my participation in [ELI] was the key factor in this agency’s decision to hire me as CEO

… my agency has sent all of our senior staff

… the fabric of relationships developed is invaluable

… I became aware of my role as more than a subject-matter specialist, as a member of the leadership team

… I now feel the confidence to step up to an executive role

… we deconstruct common challenges and brainstorm to help resolve them

… helped me see my own capabilities more clearly

… I found a group of peers to rely on long after [ELI] was over

… the unique environment makes it safe to share concerns

… made it easy to become a better executive

… my [ELI] experience helps my agency every day

… [ELI] helped me realize I would be happier as a Number Two than as a CEO; that revelation saved me from a career mistake

… a rich learning environment

… the greatest value is just participating

… the network of peers and mentors is priceless

… the chemistry between presenters and participants is powerful

… presenters are “voices from the vineyard”—real-world practitioners

… a strong sense of camaraderie