Corrections_Today_January_February_2020_Vol.82_No.1

Professional Development

Training Spotlight

LEAD with training

By Cindy Gomez and Jessalyn Halbritter

T his past October, profes- sionals from the Virginia Department of Corrections (VA DOC) graduated from ACA’s LEAD for Middle Managers Train- ing. The two-week training led by trainers Judy Morris and Danny Norris was designed to sharpen and improve the existing management/

leadership skills of the participants, improve their current effectiveness and to afford participants the oppor- tunity to take the ACA Correctional Certification Manager examina- tion. The two weeks of classroom work are linked by a “real world” project designed to give the par- ticipants an opportunity to test or

model skills and behaviors learned in the classroom. Each project had to present a way to improve the VA DOC or a way to save money. The presentations were well-thought-out, detailed and spoke of their passion and dedication to the VA DOC. After the project presentations, the train- ers gave one-on-one feedback to the

participants on what they did well and what could be improved. Alison Coops, an e- learning, senior training and development coordi- nator with the Academy for Staff Development at the VA DOC, was the class representative. As the second week of this training came to an end, Coops addressed her class with a speech that was nothing short of inspirational. In her speech, Coops talked about the different types of leadership styles they had learned about and how each had benefits and drawbacks depending on the situation.

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72 — January/February 2020 Corrections Today