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From: mmcguire
Sent: Thu 6/1/2006 8:33 AM
To: Program Leadership and Improvement List
Cc: mcguirep555 at aol.com
Subject: New PLI List Moderator


Hello everyone.
I am Peggy McGuire, and as of  June 1, 2006, I have taken on the role of Moderator of this Program Leadership and Improvement discussion list. 
 
As my very first activity in this new role, I want to send heartfelt thanks to Kim Chaney-Bey for her service as (now former) PLI list moderator. I think she did an admirable job of it, I greatly enjoyed working with her when we had opportunities to do so, and I look forward to future collaboration as she continues to oversee the NIFL Program Leadership and Improvement Special Collection. Well done, Kim!
 
Next I want to say just a couple things about why I am grateful for and excited about the opportunity to moderate this list (those of you who know me have probably already heard this, so please bear with me!). In 1984 I joined a group of community folk in starting a small community-based adult literacy project for women in my Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. From that time through 1998, I served as Literacy/ABE/GED teacher, program coordinator and finally Executive Director of the project. One of the many things I learned from that experience was the great promise, as well as the considerable challenges, inherent in the role of program administrator in such setttings. I came to believe that program administrators were in an ideal position -- on ground between real-world practice on the one hand and policy and accountability matters on the other -- to see the "big picture" goals of the important work we do, and to be sure that program decisions and actions always take them into account. I also became aware of how hard that is to accomplish, and how few resources program administrators had for technical assistance and support that might help them keep this big picture clearly at the center of their efforts. So as I began to work with the fine folks at the Center for Literacy Studies in 1999, primarily on initiatives related to Equipped for the Future, I looked for opportunities to develop resources for program leaders as part of my work. I have been very fortunate over the past years in being able to pursue some of those opportunities. 
 
And here I am -- but enough about me!
 
I would like to ask list members to help me to get to know who you are, and what you care about, so I can do the best possible job of moderating this forum ( which I hope serves as one such resource for asssistance and support for program leaders). As a way in to this process, I would love it if you all could take a little time to reflect on this notion of "Program Leader". From your own experience and perspective in whatever role you play within your organization, what does it mean to be a "program leader"? What does a program leader do? What are the opportunities a program leader can, and ought to, pursue? And what are the challenges a program leader faces when trying to pursue these? Then if you will, share your reflections with the list. And we'll go from there!
 
So many thanks for this new adventure, and all the best!
 
Peggy McGuire, M.A., 
Senior Research Associate, National Consultant, and
NIFL-Program Leadership and Improvement List Moderator
Center for Literacy Studies
The University of Tennessee
111 5th Street, PO Box 16
Mount Gretna, PA  17064
717-964-1341 (landline/fax)
215-888-6507 (cell)
mmcguire at utk.edu
 
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