CHHSM Calls on Leadership Institute Alumni to Help Reimagine Ongoing Alumni Community

CHHSM is calling on all graduates of CHHSM’s leadership programs—including the Transformational Leadership Project (TLP) (begun in 1996), the Ecumenical Leadership Institute (ELI) (1998), the Faith Based Leadership Institute (FBLI) (2004), and the Nollau Leadership Institute (begun in 2010)—to help discern ways to support and connect the vast leadership alumni community.

“Our leadership alumni actively bring the vision and promise of CHHSM’s emphasis on serving leadership to our CHHSM agencies and other UCC and ecumenical ministries,” said Jamar Doyle, president and CEO of CHHSM. “We look forward to hearing from everyone.”

For 30 years, CHHSM’s leadership formation programs have brought together people from CHHSM and UCC-related institutions to further develop their serving leadership skills and develop new insights to take back and use in their vocational lives and personal lives. Today, many of CHHSM’s consecrated diakonal ministers continue to serve in a multitude of roles across CHHSM organizations and other ministries.

“As CHHSM continues to nurture our leadership legacy, we are discerning how to more intentionally support and connect our alumni community from Nollau and all of our predecessor programs,” said the Rev. Dr. Zaria Davis, associate for membership and engagement. “Before we launch a formal leadership alumni group, we want to listen: What kinds of connections, support, and engagement would be meaningful to you in this season of your leadership and ministry?”

All leadership program alumni are invited to share their ideas, hopes, and feedback. This input will help shape the purpose, rhythm, and offerings of a renewed alumni network grounded in spiritual formation, mutual support, and shared commitment to justice.

“If you are an alum of FBLI, Nollau, or one of the predecessor leadership programs, we invite you to reach out and share your ideas, hopes, and feedback,” Davis added. “Your input will help shape the purpose, rhythms, and offerings of a renewed alumni network grounded in spiritual formation, mutual support, and shared commitment to justice. We look forward to hearing from you and to discerning together how this alumni community can continue the spirit of the journey beyond the formal program year.”

Whether through TLP, ELI, FBLI, or the Nollau Leadership Institute, many past participants consecrated as diakonal ministers speak of their CHHSM leadership program experience as life-changing, and consider their classmates to be close colleagues. 

The skills learned and insights gained, as former CHHSM President and CEO Bryan Sickbert has said, “focus on leadership formation as a lifelong process that occurs best in community.”

It is that continued spirit CHHSM wants to capture in developing stronger support and connections for its alumni community. All leadership institute graduates should contact Davis through the CHHSM contact page. Please include “Leadership Alumni” in your message.