Luke Center

Who Participates?

The Pacific Program is developed specifically for those who have achieved managerial and leadership responsibility in state and local governments, councils of governments, Native American tribal nations, school districts, special districts, and nonprofit agencies. The program is designed for elected officials as well as managers, administrators, and department directors who seek to further develop and refine their leadership and managerial skills.

The participants will return to their agencies with broader perspectives on their roles, increased awareness of their own policy leadership practices, sharper executive and managerial skills, keener ability to define emergent problems and to develop and implement appropriate policy, and renewed pride in the value of public service.

An important part of the Pacific Program developmental experience is daily interaction among participants and trainers. The Pacific Program is structured so that participants learn from one another as well as from the faculty. As a result, participants are selected to represent a broad range of backgrounds.

An important note: The program is intensive in terms of both time and energy. This means that participants need to plan to stay the entire time – on site – without additional guests or plans. It also means that interruptions, including technology (cell phones, pagers) should be kept to a minimum.

A New Era for Governance and Leadership

The skills required for managing and leading in public service have changed over the last ten years. During the 1990s, federal actions expanded state and local responsibilities significantly, requiring a more active leadership role for state and local officials in addressing issues critical to their future. State and local governments and nonprofit agencies share the responsibility for providing leadership in key policy areas, which increases the need to work together effectively.

Equally dramatic is the changing nature of public policy issues themselves. Public sector leaders are often faced with problems that transcend the boundaries of one jurisdiction. Problems facing policy leaders and public managers are increasingly multi-jurisdictional, and extend into regional, national, and even international areas.

Perhaps the most important development is declining fiscal resources. Public and nonprofit executives are increasingly forced to provide new and expanded services with fewer financial resources.

As a result of the growing leadership role, the increasing complexity and interconnectedness of public programs, and declining financial resources, new skills, strategies, and perspectives are now required to "manage in the public interest."

Faculty

The faculty members are leaders in their respective teaching fields and are drawn from throughout the United States. However, participants learn as much from each other as from the faculty through interactive work including discussions, role-play, and real-world case studies.