She had extraordinary talent and energy and provided sound leadership for the Institute's Management Center. While her tenure as director was all too brief, her contribution to the Center will not be forgotten. She will be greatly missed. The Selectperson Institute was developed in response to the need to provide training and resource information about environmental and municipal matters to town council members and to help them develop techniques for working effectively with citizens in their communities. Most important, the Institute provides a forum for officials to collaborate with their counterparts from area towns and to discuss common solutions to similar problems.
Plans are underway to expand the program statewide and to other regions in New England.
Meanwhile, cities and towns are struggling to deal with complex problems related to growth, sprawl, and changing demographics. Antioch New England Institute, in partnership with 10 state and regional organizations, is conducting the training program in Berlin and Winchester, New Hampshire, two municipalities faced with major environmental, economic, and education challenges. Project results are being carefully evaluated with plans to expand the training in municipalities throughout New Hampshire. An evaluation kit provides strategies for boards to identify key functions, assess their structures and practices, and suggests ways to address weaknesses. The project focuses on developing the internal capacity of boards without reliance on external consultants.