While other cities around North Texas struggle with recruiting new board and commission members, Lancaster has a model that works for them.
Through the city’s Civic Leadership Academy, now in its 15th year, residents are able to learn the ins and outs of city government. Alumni of the program include Mayor Clyde C. Hairston, Mayor Pro Tem Betty Gooden-Davis, and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell Cheatham.
This week, this year’s 25 participants, representing a range of ages and backgrounds, graduated at a ceremony before city council members.
The nine-week program takes participants into a deep dive of municipal government with a hands-on approach – from how the city repairs potholes to the role of the city manager.
“One of the things that it was truly intended to be was a way to get citizens engaged into city functions – to better understand how the city functions as a whole and what their potential roles can be in that,” said Vershurn Ford, community relations manager. “It was designed to be a community engagement asset.”
Jackie Alexander, who participated in this year’s program, said she is a frequent speaker at city council meetings.
“I would go to the city council meetings to share, you know, give my input on things that interests me or even concerns me,” Alexander said.
She said it was that curiosity that stemmed from her speaking out at council that drove her to apply for the academy. She described herself and colleagues as a passionate group.
“We asked questions. We wanted to know why this, why that. And so, it was beautiful,” Alexander said. She is now deciding which board or commission she would like to apply to – something she hadn’t thought about before joining the program.
Ford, who was a speaker at one of the classes, said he could see the growth in the participants.
“There's always a moment as you're sitting in these different classes that you're just like, you can see that a light bulb turns on for residents, " he said.
Alexander said she hoped the connections and camaraderie will continue to grow beyond the cohort.
"I thoroughly love my community,” she said. “I want the best for Lancaster.”
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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