Message from the President
Dr. Shelley Drogin
As we emerge from summer and move toward the autumn, we are beginning to witness and savor the fruits of our labor for the future of LIOS. It has been a time of intensity and hard work during which we have consolidated many aspects of LIOS' new role as an institution of higher learning. I am happy to report that the Leadership Institute of Seattle is alive and well and that we are totally energized by our new relationship with Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center.
Through this period of transition, and the new responsibilities and the promise this role brings with it, we are grateful for the way in which so many elements have come together in a timely fashion, with fewer difficulties or obstacles than we had any right to expect. Reflecting back to the beginning of the year, we have indeed achieved extraordinary results against considerable odds. And yet, as President, holding the anxiety and creative tension of LIOS’ future, I often felt things were never moving fast enough for me.
As an example of our steady forward-motion, I am delighted to inform you that the Higher Education Coordinating Board of Washington State has granted authorization to the Saybrook/LIOS program. This authorization is required to operate as an institution of higher learning in the state and therefore is a prerequisite to marketing LIOS to the public. The process of authorization is very complex, often requiring up to a year’s time to complete. Though it seemed like an eternity to me, we were able -working closely with Saybrook- to obtain the necessary authorization in only a couple of months. This approval represents a significant milestone, marking a crucial juncture in our evolution. With it, we solidify our affiliation with Saybrook, inaugurating our role as an educational arm of Saybrook here in the state of Washington.
While this and other efforts were proceeding, the LIOS Marketing staff worked diligently to anticipate our new promotional needs. Consequently, we were poised to launch a new, ambitious marketing campaign that includes exciting radio ads, eye-catching bus banners all around town, newspaper ads and an updated View Book that outlines LIOS’ programs and philosophy. Our marketing plan introduces all that LIOS/Saybrook has to offer to our prospective students and customers. And please be assured that the Master of Arts degrees in Psychology (with a specialization in Systems Counseling) and in Organizational Systems (with a specialization in Leadership and Organization Development) that Saybrook offers this Fall, fully honors the tradition of the LIOS Curriculum that you have experienced and value.
We are excited and impressed by the caliber of students who are enrolling in the Fall program beginning on October 1, and we already have commitments for the Spring of ’09 program (formerly the Winter Program now shifted to align with Saybrook’s semester calendar). Recently we hosted a Taste of LIOS and despite it being held on the highly historic night of Barach Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, we had a strong turnout. The evening had international representation, including a number of visitors from Canada. This presence strengthens our commitment to increasing our visibility in the British Columbia market and we are beginning to plan events to deepen our connection with both alumni and prospective students of our friends to the North.
On the home front, we are well along in our continued search for a new home base for our offices. Just as LIOS has found a new educational / philosophical home, it is appropriate that we have a new physical home. It is our intention to create a space that is congruent with our values -- a sustainable, aesthetic space that will serve as a hearth and a center from which to move further outward in the world.
Fall will indeed bear the fruits of our considerable labor during the previous months of this year. We have much to be grateful and in particular we are so appreciative of the continued support we have experienced on so many levels. On behalf of the Board, the Faculty and the Staff—a deeply heartfelt thank you.
Warmest regards,
Shelley Drogin, Ed.D.
President,
Leadership Institute of Seattle