As Vermont approaches its goal of 100 percent digital connectivity, business and community leaders must constantly adapt and change the way they communicate, get work done, and participate in the public life of their communities, organizers said. This program will provide participants with new information and leadership skills to respond to change.

Leadership in a Connected Age will give participants:

·         Insight about emerging technologies,

·         A chance to network and share ideas with other Vermont leaders

·         The opportunity to explore the impact of technology on leadership effectiveness and innovation.

Half-day workshops feature social media and technology trends with a regional community focus. They will be held at Lyndon State College at Lyndonville on April 28; at the Howard Dean Education Center in Springfield on May 12; at Community College of Vermont in Montpelier May 19; and Isley Public Library in Middlebury on May 26.

The full-day conference on June 9 at Champlain College in Burlington offer participants the opportunity to further explore the issues through interactive presentations, and engaging discussions with peers and industry experts.

The series and conference will feature Steve Shepard, president of Shepard Communications Group, a professional author and educator who specializes in international issues in telecommunications including the social implications of technological change on leadership.

“When we talk about the ‘connected age’ we often think of people-to- people contact, communication through wireless, optical fiber and other options. However, it is much more than that. Living in a connected age is about connecting network-to-network, people-to-people, people-to-content and content-to- content,” explains Shepard.

A four-minute podcast about the program is available at www.go.champlain.edu/connectedage along with a short video and a second podcast about Google Voice. Secure online registration for the half-day and full day events is also available.  

The June conference at Champlain College will also feature futurist and technology expert Elliott Masie, chair of the Learning Consortium and founder of ReSkilling, who will deliver a keynote address, "Collaboration and Transparency in the Connected and 'Obama' Age."

Susan McCormack, director of leadership development at the Snelling Center explains, “We are very excited to offer this statewide program in collaboration with Champlain College. We are combining Champlain’s cutting-edge technology expertise with Snelling’s leadership experience to deliver a great opportunity. Attendees will come away with new technical skills, insights, and resources that will help them to build strategies for incorporating emerging technologies into their workplaces and communities.”

With support from New England Federal Credit Union, scholarships are available for participants. Space is limited, early registration is encouraged.

To register, http://extra.champlain.edu/cps/wdc/alliances/leadership.php