Tracy Souza
No doubt you’ve heard about networking. Maybe in your professional life it was suggested as a tool for advancement. Maybe someone suggested networking as a way to find dating partners or companions. At Heritage Fund we are supporting networking as a way to gather and grow community leadership.
Networking is the process of making connections and building relationships. Effective community leadership is based upon it. As our community grows it also gets more diverse and complicated. We can no longer rely on just the informal networks that build up around church or school or neighborhoods. As a community we need to be mindful and deliberate about creating opportunities for people to get to know other people.
To that goal, Heritage Fund held its second Leadership Convening on Oct. 26 in our courtyard.
We used a fall carnival theme and decorations to provide a fun and informal setting for community members to get to know one another. At least 80 guests showed up to mingle and hopefully get to meet new people and reconnect with others.
As much fun as it was to gather in perfect weather, it was also really important for people with critical community roles to interact with elected officials and business leaders. My hope is that each of us takes time to bring new people into our professional circles. Strong and constructive relationships are the best foundation for a successful community. The kind of community we all want to be part of.
Tracy Souza is president and CEO of Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Contact the fund at 812-376-7772 to learn more about how they can help you do “Your Philanthropy. Your Way.” Send comments to [email protected].
