48 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 FEATURE Serving the members of the Indiana Bankers Association since 2013, the IBA Leadership Development Program (LDP) is in-depth curriculum designed to heighten leadership ability within the Indiana banking community. Structured as a series of four sessions, the program takes place over an eight-month period, held in a distraction-free retreat setting in southern Indiana. Class size is limited, and participants are selected by their bank CEOs. LDP works on sharpening leadership skills, with a focus on overcoming personal weaknesses, facilitating productive teamwork, and building a problem-solving team spirit. Community Outreach Another important feature of the Leadership Development Program is community service, since it is integral to the banking industry. Each year, LDP participants enter into a community outreach challenge, forming teams that create and execute meaningful community outreach. The 2018 class grouped into four teams, each creating impactful community service projects to benefit Hoosiers. One team created a service day at the Ronald McDonald House of Indiana, which offers support and solace to families with children who are patients at Riley Hospital for Children. The first phase was to collect enough food donations and other support items to be able to visit the house and prepare a meal for visiting families. Then the team convened at the house to serve a warm meal, easing the emotional strain for families whose loved ones were hospitalized at Riley. A second team instituted a financial literacy campaign, traveling to Heritage Trail Correctional Facility in Plainfield to teach banking concepts to benefit inmates as they prepare to leave the prison system. Many prisoners were convicted of lesser crimes and were expected to be released shortly, making the financial education life skills training especially timely for them to put into practice upon release. A third team created an outreach program to collect donations and backpacks to be donated to homeless individuals in Indianapolis. Through donations of cash and items such as socks, toiletries, food, etc., the group collected enough supplies to fill 125 backpacks. Then, with the help of a local church that works with the homeless, the team was able to meet with many in the homeless community to distribute “Backpacks of Hope.” The fourth team organized a project to benefit children in foster homes. Working with the Indiana Department of Child Services, “Foster the Need” provided supplies for children entering into foster care, as many children in this situation do not have possessions or are unable to bring personal items into foster homes. The project provided children with essentials, as well as toys for comfort. To provide continued service to children in foster care, the creators of Foster the Need are in the process of seeking a nonprofit designation. Additionally, IBA staff designated Foster the Need as a 2018 holiday project, purchasing supplies through staff and Association donations. Faculty A major factor in the ongoing success of the IBA Leadership Development Program is its world-class faculty, a team of three who bring skills honed through years of their partnership to the IBA. Faculty members reflect differing backgrounds and expertise. Juli Lynch, Ph.D., is an expert in people and why they think and act as they do. Through her teaching at LDP, she changes the way participants think about other personalities, shows them how to recognize and respond in different situations, and opens their minds to understanding how to handle stresses that can develop in the workplace. Juli holds a master’s IBA Leadership Development Program Preparing bank leaders
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