Celebrating Sarah
Congratulations to Sarah Marr, Ardenwoods’ Associate Executive Director, on her recent graduation from LeadingAge’s Leadership Academy!
LeadingAge is a community of nonprofit services providers and other mission-driven organizations serving older adults. They offer a variety of programs, training and in-person and virtual learning opportunities to elevate members’ ability to lead their organizations.
The Leadership Academy provides an engaging learning environment that enhances individuals' leadership capacity by tapping into their natural talents and authentic management styles. To graduate from the academy, participants present Action Learning Projects to academy organizers. These projects involve developing specific plans for their respective communities to explore and implement.
On Saturday, November 1, LeadingAge hosted the SPARK event in Boston, during which academy fellows presented their final Action Learning Project and celebrated completion with academy alumni, family and friends. This year’s academy included seven fellows from North Carolina.
Sarah said it’s been an incredible experience.
“I feel like I learned a lot about myself,” she said. According to LeadingAge, unlike many leadership programs that focus on building a core skillset for new leaders or are geared toward nurturing a specific career path for “emerging” leaders, this Leadership Academy provides a leadership foundation rooted in reflective practice — developing a deep understanding of one’s self, uncovering one’s unique leadership attributes, and learning how to stretch and leverage those capacities to have the most impact as leaders.
Sarah said she spent a lot of time reflecting and learning about her strengths. She joined a cohort of six students and was mentored by Jeff Weatherhead, Chief Executive Officer of Plymouth Harbor in Sarasota, Florida. She said she’s thankful for the experience, and graduating feels bittersweet.
“Being able to work with people in our industry from all over the United States who all have a similar passion in aging services — it just makes me excited about the future of our industry.”
Sarah looks forward to using this experience to better impact the residents of Ardenwoods. Congratulations on this milestone, Sarah!
