2017 Program Offers Rising Female Leaders Classes in Personal Leadership

Photo Submitted

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Global Campus and Inseitz Group will team up again to offer an 11-week certificate program in spring 2017 to help women develop and strengthen skills important to professional and personal success. The spring 2017 session begins Jan. 18.

Twelve women from corporations, businesses and non-profits – including Wal-mart Stores Inc., Arvest Bank, and First Security Bank – are participating in the fall session of the Women’s Personal Leadership Effectiveness Program, which ends Nov. 30. 

The Women’s Personal Leadership Effectiveness Program is the only in-depth, uniquely women-focused, character-based professional development program in Northwest Arkansas. Becky Paneitz and Pat Bailey, partners at the Inseitz Group, developed the program.

Paneitz is president emeritus of NorthWest Arkansas Community College, and Bailey is the provost and vice chancellor emeritus for Academic and Student Affairs at Arkansas State University in Mountain Home. Both work to advance women’s initiatives.

Participants can register online for the spring program. The cost is $2,999 for the 11-week program set for Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon from Jan. 18 through April 5. Classes alternate between in-class meetings at the Global Campus in Rogers, 3300 Market St., and online independent study.

"The curriculum and self-assessment tool provide the perfect foundation for the program,” Paneitz said. "Our program empowers women to make a real difference in all aspects of their lives.”

Bailey said, “Each participant has been able to connect with stories from our guest speakers and use the curriculum to develop a life action plan that will advance her in the future.”

Kristol Gano, who is participating in the fall cohort, said the in-person classes are rewarding.

“I have enjoyed hearing every single speaker,” Gano said. “With the coursework and the in-person classes, my mission is becoming clearer and clearer. I am excited about having gone through this process to come out of it with such a defined set of goals and values that I can look to and be more intentional about.”

The spring 2017 cohort will follow a similar pattern to the fall program, but will have new trainers and several new guest speakers. Sharon Deloach and Rose Mary Pham, working with both cohorts, are Certified Personal Leadership Effectiveness Trainers.

“Collaborating with the Women's Empowerment Initiative is an exciting and personally fulfilling opportunity,” Deloach said. “The MAXIMIZERS e-learning provides individualized instruction and classroom pedagogical strategies focuses on soft-skill development in the leadership field. It addresses today’s relevant real world issues.”

Pham said she is encouraged by the growth she’s seen in fall participants.

“I look forward to equally amazing results with the next group,” Pham said. “The leadership presented throughout the program will resonate with each participant, and she will strengthen her ability to significantly contribute to an organization, team or cause.”

Research conducted with Fortune 500 CEOs by the Stanford Research Institute International and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation found that 75 percent of long-term job success depends on soft skills and people skills, while only 25 percent depends on technical skills. 

To be eligible to participate, women must be employed for at least three years, have served in a mid-level manager or supervisory position for at least one year or supervised a program or project, show an openness to feedback and a willingness to learn, and be willing to commit to the time and rigor of the program.

Women in the Personal Leadership Effectiveness programs will:

Learn about the 10 character-based principles that impact personal and professional success.

Hear professional women speak about the impact these principles have had on their personal and professional lives. In-person class sessions will also serve as networking sessions for participants. 

Meet with assigned personal coaches to complete a personal and professional life plan.

Speakers for the spring session will include Paneitz; Bailey; Shelly Simpson, president of the trucking division for JB Hunt; Tina Winham, president of Junior League of Northwest Arkansas and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. lead for NUK USA; and Amy Blackburn, professor emeritus at Northeastern State University. 

About Inseitz Group: Inseitz Group is a consulting firm led by Paneitz, who uses her 40 years of experience to mentor, motivate and lead individuals and organizations. The group works with non-profit groups and businesses of all sizes.

About the Global Campus: The Global Campus supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online, distance and workforce education programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.