There are many challenges and opportunities for us in helping build strong, significant nonpartisan relationships within the public entities. We have to develop shared visions that are critical to sustaining successful partnerships. We have to build relationships that maintain ongoing communication for collaboration. When we increase collaboration we reduce duplication and misdirection. We have to be a matchmaker, identify potential partnerships.

Personalities and their incompatibility “personality clashes” between others can be an obstacle within community councils/boards and committees that can become a very big opportunity to develop into positive outcomes. However with some gentle effort and some heightened perspective we may be able to work well with practically anyone. Community leadership must take responsibility to make these personality clashes to turn into positive outcomes. We must not insist that other people see life or behave the way we do. Personalities have various effects on the objectives and goals that communities are working towards.

I have found that there may be a lack of support offered to rural communities by many state agencies. By lack of support I mean resources that provide knowledge of programs and/or technical support offered to rural communities. Programs that will provide quality training in leadership. I believe that we need to direct more attention to this issue. We need programs in place that provide opportunities for communities if they desire to proceed in the direction of growth and governing organization. The programs should include support in technical knowledge and funding resources that will encourage rural communities to develop governing bodies.

The spirit of a rural community is essential for maintaining the life of the community. It must involve community residents that have the ambition and energy to work endless hours. Leadership must be present within, and be willing to take on challenges that may overwhelm them from time to time. Every community has a different culture it supports or would like to foster. Communities are like big families and have their own ideas on how they would like to grow and move forward. Only the communities that are aggressive will be able to move forward. It is a struggle and challenge as their resources and knowledge is limited at times. There are many times that they find it would be easier to fade into the process of deterioration. If leadership and knowledge are offered to communities then there are usually residents within willing to devote their talents and abilities to the cause. Everyone has something to offer. Our jobs as leaders must be to recognize those talents and abilities. We must provide opportunity for the utilization of the talents and abilities of those in the community. This will help to foster and maintain the spirit in the community. We must create projects and programs that will promote participation from every level of the social status of residents in the community. We must recognize the other side of the equation. It involves the buy-in of the residents and the efficient, effective execution of ideas and suggestions that will foster participation.