Leadership RI focuses on Warwick's positives

Tim Forsberg
Posted 4/28/15

Movers and shakers of the Warwick community gathered last Thursday for a Leadership Rhode Island (LRI) “Listening Session,” a conversation to share the strengths and benefits …

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Leadership RI focuses on Warwick's positives

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Movers and shakers of the Warwick community gathered last Thursday for a Leadership Rhode Island (LRI) “Listening Session,” a conversation to share the strengths and benefits currently found in the city.

Held at the Warwick Police Department Community Room, about two dozen residents, law enforcement officials and political figures gathered for part of LRI’s multi-year “Make RI Stronger” initiative, which focuses on improving the Rhode Island workplace and psyche through collaboration.

As with similar meetings they’ve held across the state, LRI’s hopes to convene and engage with these leaders to discuss what’s found in each Rhode Island city and town and then share those findings with each other to provide better future solutions. This year’s theme is called “Re-Casting Rhode Island.”

“We’re really looking for each community’s secret formulas, where’s the magic and what’s their secret sauce, and that’s challenging,” said Mike Ritz, executive director of LRI. “We’re hoping to create innovation, create economic development, through the process of connecting people in different ways.”

Searching for some of the best practices and innovations that are happening throughout Rhode Island, from neighborhoods, civic organizations and businesses, to the way government works with its citizens, LRI invited people from across the city, from different professions and walks of life, to contribute and partake in the session.

“Eventually, we will share what we find with the other groups around the state,” said Dave Curtis, who helped facilitate the meeting. “The endgame is this idea that perhaps one community’s strengths could be applied in another community.”

For the past 35 years, LRI, a non-governmental, non-profit entity, has brought together citizens from around the state to form classes that develop leadership skills and provide ongoing education regarding state issues.

Seventy-five people in this year’s class represent residents from 27 cities and towns.  Their goal is to identify the unique strengths and assets of those communities. They plan to hold 33 meetings across the state, then bring that information to a statewide convening on Oct. 24 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet.

“What we think will happen is people will say, ‘Hey, we do this in our community, and this is incredible and this is how it works,” and others will recognize those opportunities or problems in their community and can learn from it,” said Ritz.

In discussions about Warwick, they were looking for the particular people, organizations and processes behind some of the things that makeup Warwick’s fabric. Session attendees were broken up into two workshop groups to discuss the community’s assets. Topics of discussion included what Warwick does better than other communities, what people and accomplishments make the city unique, the top five reasons to live here, top improvements city-wide in the last 10 years, its unsung heroes and best innovators, amongst others.

The positives attendees mentioned included Warwick’s 39 miles of coastline, hotel room capacity, public parks and beaches, yard waste collections, recycling and trash pickup, and education system.

“Warwick’s a great place; I can’t think of a better place in Rhode Island, it offers it all from the waterfront to good stable government, great law enforcement, and great public safety,” said Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi.  “It’s a good city, the mayor does a good job, the council does a good job, they don’t always agree but they seem to get there. I look at Warwick and see opportunity.”

Jonathan Marr, who created a Facebook highlighting the positives of Warwick, cited a possible growing population in the city as a benefit.

“When you talk to the teachers, the population is going up,” said Marr. “The sports teams are starting to grow, Toll Gate hasn’t been able to field a freshman baseball team in two years; this year they had 16 freshmen come up. We’re now getting kids from La Salle and Hendricken.”

While the city considers consolidating schools in the future, Warwick’s school system was seen by some as a draw to the city.

“Education was one of the primary movers of my wife’s and my decision to come back to Warwick,” said Cranston Police Captain Vincent McAteer. “Warwick’s police department has also been a flagship accreditation agency for the state for the last five accreditation cycles, which is almost 20 years, so it’s a safe place to live.”

Most participants, however, focused on the strengths of active community participants as the key to a vibrant city.

“The greatest resource we have is our people, from the mayor to the city workers, the residents to retirees, people here are passionate,” said Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson. “We’re all vested, we’re all stakeholders.”

For more information on Leadership Rhode Island and their initiative, visit their website at www.leadershipri.org.

Comments

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  • .

    Councilwoman Vella-Wilkinson and the "movers and shakers" in the Warwick political arena were just found guilty by the RI Attorney General's office for knowing and willful violations made against the public in regards to the state's Open Meetings Act. Financial and judicial penalties ensuing! None of those individuals in that photo above represent or speak on behalf of the Warwick citizens. Warwick leadership is a farce! If you want to know what separates Warwick from other communities just open the BOOKS, then you'll know!

    Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Camile Wilkinson is a disgrace to the community and is not in office to serve the public. She has outright lied numerous times in attempts to slander and belittle people. She has gone out of her way to suppress peoples right to comment at public meetings. She has engaged in willful attempts to cover up fact relating to problematic fiscal issues on this community. She has used her city email to circulate false slanderous information about people. Wilkinsons only goal is to cement her foundation by pandering to her special interest groups such as the LGBT community, the gun lobbyists and the unions.

    She blatantly covered up information pertaining to the new ball fields at the airport and by doing so has endangered neighbors and the children that will ultimately use those fields.

    Take a drive through her Ward. It is the worst ward in the city for pot holes and road conditions. She refuses to answer constituent phone calls and ignores anyone who e-mails her. Then she poses for pictures holding up a target and displays it on her Face Book page in the same way a high school student would. Not to mention the grouping of her shots indicates she doesn't know what she is doing with a firearm.

    She is often heard referring to city hall workers in a derogatory and condescending manner and frankly, she is simply obnoxious. Her demeanor speaks volumes for the way business is performed in Warwick, and frankly, her intelligence level is not very impressive.

    Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Report this

  • davebarry109

    You moved to Warwick for the schools? You must be an optimist. Let the record show......

    Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Report this

  • FASTFREDWARD4

    Movers how come I didn't here about this. I must have not been in the know zone. Hi joey, looks like so many people were there.

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • .

    LRI is yet another special interest group in RI that doesn't have a clue.

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • .

    LRI is yet another special interest group in RI that doesn't have a clue.

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • vinny

    Hi Samuel, TheCaptain, DaveBarry, and FastFred

    Thanks for your comments and for looking to engage in the conversation. The public forums that we are organizing as part of our class's 2015 project are completely open to anyone in the city completely regardless of personal or political status, views, affiliations, or otherwise. While our ultimate goal is to highlight on the STRENGTHS and ASSETS of Warwick as a city, the process of debating various view points and the discussion throughout is a critical byproduct. We invite each and every one of you to attend our next session, come listen, share, debate, discuss as we work to peel back the onion and identify the truly great parts of Warwick and how to build upon them.

    Anyone interested in more information on our project can email lriwarwick@gmail.com. We will publish a date for our next public forum in the next week - shooting for early June.

    Thanks for reading and discussing,

    -Vinny Gebhart

    LRI Class of '15

    Team Warwick

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    Stacia why don't you stick to your Facebook where you get your 1 or 2 likes per post? You are a loser. Keep dreaming that you are making a difference. No one takes you seriously, and half of the people who "liked" your page only did so to get a laugh and to see what it looks like for a person to be dillusional publicly.

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • FASTFREDWARD4

    Vinny were do you post a meeting or should I call my good buddy joey. I didn,t here about this meeting at all. And I didn,t see not 1 state sent and really 1 rep. That all I,m saying. I am not making any fun of your meeting. Because I,m in the know. Let not forget the sitting 9 but 1 was there I guess in the picture.

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    Fastfredward4, could you please learn how to properly read and write the English language before posting on these comment boards? Thanks.

    Thursday, April 30, 2015 Report this

  • FASTFREDWARD4

    Now I have to check what I write REALLY.

    Friday, May 1, 2015 Report this

  • JamesSabin

    @staciaclueless You need a hobby buddy you're an angry little boy. Did you get picked on a lot in school? I feel bad for you, spending your free time trolling the comment section of The Beacon picking on girls. You should go see a shrink to deal with your anger issues. I think you're secretly in love with stacia.

    Saturday, May 2, 2015 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    Fred, James just called you a girl. And james, you spend your free time looking at my comments on the beacon website and commenting back to me... want to set up a dual shrink session then?

    Monday, May 4, 2015 Report this

  • FASTFREDWARD4

    Would you like to come to my gym and play a little clue have to be there at 4.30 you game

    Wednesday, May 6, 2015 Report this

  • CameronClueless

    I'm a Whittaker, and I'm a deranged little boy.

    Thursday, May 7, 2015 Report this