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December 6, 2013
Three years ago, with funding from a grant by the Buhl Foundation, CONNECT and the Coro Center for Civic Leadership engaged in a partnership wherein fellows who are participating in the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs are placed with CONNECT to work on policy issues that are of interest to CONNECT member municipalities.
Since the initiation of the partnership between the Coro Center for Civic Leadership and CONNECT, the two non-profit organizations have inspired one another to better empower the communities which surround them. Since the partnership began, Coro Fellows have gained vital real-world public affairs experience by working on policies which strengthen CONNECT’s member municipalities. In turn, CONNECT has benefited by utilizing the talents that the fellows bring from their varied backgrounds and experiences.
In the beginning of the partnership, Coro Fellows worked with CONNECT members to create a Citizen’s Advisory Council, facilitating deliberative democracy and bringing out unique ideas from individuals throughout Pittsburgh’s urban core. Today, that process continues. As a Coro Fellow currently placed in CONNECT, I work with a narrower, policy-oriented focus. Initially I organized for our annual Congress which took place on November 21, and now I research how CONNECT may strengthen and advance K-12 education throughout its member municipalities.
Beyond the practical experience I obtain from witnessing CONNECT’s ability to reach out to countless community representatives and stakeholders, this unique organization teaches me about leadership – perhaps the most central focus of a Coro Fellow. I watch our Executive Director Kathy Risko lead by bringing numerous diverse community members to the discussion table. These community members then lead by directly establishing their common interests and by working to make them actionable and coordinated. From these meetings, and from five years of congressional resolutions turned into substantive results (look no further than the Community Paramedic Program), CONNECT leads by seeking to institutionalize its relationship with the City of Pittsburgh and partnering with Mayor-elect Bill Peduto, CONNECT’s first vice chair.
These actions taken by CONNECT, coupled with its constant research to enhance regional cooperation, make me proud to be a part of the organization. On behalf of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership and all of the Coro Fellows, we look forward to the future of our partnership with CONNECT and to its continued leadership for its member communities.
- Ryan Mayo, Coro Fellow in Public Affairs, 2013-2014
