WARD COUNTY—Lieutenant Roxanne Houim from the Ward County Detention Center and IT/GIS Director Jason Blowers, recently completed NACo’s leadership programs and shared their personal testimonies before the board of commissioners on Tuesday, Jan. 18. [See 20:40]
NACo (National Association of Counties), an organization founded in 1935, strives to strengthen counties in America. Houim and Blowers were elected from the Ward County staff to enroll in online leadership programs offered through NACo.
Houim completed NACo’s High Performance Leadership Academy, a full-bodied curriculum developed by the Professional Development Academy and leaders like General Colin Powell, to equip county officials with practical leadership skills.
“It was a great program,” said Houim. “There was a lot of knowledgeable stuff in this, and there was a lot of work. Four hours of homework a week on top of the two webinar classes that were an hour long a piece.”
Her classes were at 10am Thursdays and Fridays for 12 weeks, which Houim said was a bit of a challenge considering she works the nightshift at the detention center; however, she said she was able to overcome it by drinking coffee and staying committed to completing the program.
“Somebody had said in my small group, ‘You bring the weather with you, so are you going to bring the storm or are you going to bring the sunshine?’ So that’s kind of a big thing to me too,” she said. “Because whatever you bring, that’s what everyone is going to reflect as well. So, make sure you bring that positivity and don’t bring those clouds.”
Houim concluded, “One of the other things I learned, Colin Powell had passed away during this [Oct. 18, 2021]. So, we’re one of the last classes that received a signed autographed book from him, so that is… something special as well.”
Blowers had the opportunity enroll in NACo’s Enterprise Cybersecurity Leadership Academy, a 12-week program similar to Houim’s, although the curriculum aims to enhance a person’s leadership skills in the realm of county cybersecurity.
“I enjoyed the class immensely,” said Blowers. He explained that the program broadened his views and widened his perception, which he considered “invaluable skills” amid fending off millions of hackers from their site with a team of only four people.
“From the start of the class, I enjoyed Colin Powell’s insight, his wisdom, and his commentary. He had 13 strategies that he had listed that we built upon during the course of the 12-week class,” explained Blowers.
Concluding with a quote from Powell, Blowers said, “’Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier,’ so if you come in with an attitude ‘can do’ and employees see it, it multiplies your workforce. That is really key to the class and key to leadership.”
The commissioners also discussed the reversal of dedicated right-of-ways, an issue brought up at the last meeting, and scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 9:00 a.m. in the commissioner’s chambers.
Discussion will take place on the language for changing the zoning ordinances that deal with plat and right-of-way issues. During this time, a date for a public hearing will be decided as well.
