When Shirlene Stoven first heard about the ROC Leadership Institute, she was unsure of whether or not to apply. 
This would have been the first time she’d attend a conference like this after she and her neighbors purchased their neighborhood in January 2018 and she didn’t want to take the opportunity away from another member of the Board of Directors who she served with at Applewood Homeowners Cooperative in Midvale, Utah.
But she’s glad she did.
“It was time well spent,” she said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Eighty-two leaders left inspired and energized to further the positive work they’ve been doing in their communities after the inaugural Institute in June. This networking opportunity was one of the key highlights for Stoven. She was able to go over what she learned with the two other Board members from her ROC as well as her peers from across the nation.
“It was like everybody wanted to know everyone,” Stoven said. “Everybody was there to help each other. Everybody was there to learn, everybody was there to share what they knew.” 
This year’s three-day training will be held on June 6 to 9 at Southern New Hampshire University. The registration process is set to open on March 1 and anyone who lives in a ROC can register to come.
The event was filled with workshops, learning labs, speakers and entertainment, all focused on helping those in attendance enhance their skills and gain new ones to benefit their communities.
Workshops and labs covered topics like effective communication, business basics, building your community brand, infill strategies, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution, visiting a local ROC and facilitating group decision making.
Many wrote in their final evaluations that the event was a huge success.
“This was my first event,” one woman wrote. “I enjoyed all the knowledge I gained and will bring it back to my ROC.”
Another participant agreed.
“The training and workshops were excellent and will be useful to facilitate the info to have our community run more smoothly. I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the trainers and other ROC members.”
The ROC Leadership Institute is modeled after NeighborWorks® America Community Leadership Institute. This national training event aims to strengthen the voices and skills of volunteer leaders from resident-owned communities. Participants attend with other members from their ROCs and other ROC leaders from across the country.
For years, ROC leaders who attended CLI raved about the experience. They loved the connections made with peers, with technical assistance providers and with ROC USA staff. While they valued the sessions with non-ROC leaders, overwhelmingly their feedback asked us for more time with their peers. That’s why ROC USA launched the ROC Leadership Institute exclusively for ROC leaders.
The change also allowed double the number of participants to attend.
“I felt it was a more positive having this event with ROCs only,” one participant wrote on the final evaluation. “Thank you for doing this for us.”
Check back on www.ROCUSA.org and www.myROCUSA.org to learn how to register and what to expect at the event later this winter. Recordings from last year’s event are also available online.