Hagar Services Coalition, Inc. 2016 Candidate School - Certificates of Achievement

On February 25, 2016, Hagar Services Coalition, Inc. awarded Certificates of Achievement to 11 participants in the 2016 Candidate School.  President/CEO, Rose Jacobs Gibson, stated: “The 2016 Candidate School provided a remarkable opportunity to individuals who are giving serious thought about seeking elected office now or in the future.”

Participants represented the communities of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, East Belle Haven, Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks areas. Attendees learned about the characteristics of strong leadership, decision making skills, questions to ask yourself before seeking elected office, meeting facilitation, ethics required of public officials, the Brown Act, and much more. “The Candidate School gave me an excellent overview of the process of becoming a candidate for elected office. The speakers were world class,” stated one graduate.

One East Palo Alto, The City of East Palo Alto, Nuestra Casa, the Multicultural Counseling and Educational Services of the Bay Area (MCESBA) and the City of Menlo Park offered their support as co-hosts of the Candidate School.

“We cannot begin to express our gratitude to the prestigious group of presenters who took time out of their busy schedules to lend their insights and credibility to this program,” stated Ms. Jacobs Gibson.” Among the guest speakers were Henry L. Gardner, Board Chair for the Institute for Local Government; Rich Gordon, Assembly Member, District 24; Warren Slocum, San Mateo County Supervisor, District 4; Jerry Hill, California State Senator; Don Cecil, CEO of MC2 Bay Area; Councilwoman Lisa Gauthier; Councilman Ray Mueller; Sequoia High School District Trustee Georgia Jack; and staff from the San Mateo County Registrar and Elections Division.

About Hagar Services Coalition, Inc.

Hagar Services Coalition, Inc. was founded in 1994 by Rose Jacobs Gibson as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to plan and implement programs designed to restore, rebuild and renew families and community. Hagar focuses on educating and training new leaders to provide fresh perspectives and bold new strategies that address the challenges we face locally, nationally and internationally in today’s world where leadership, community succession planning and change are needed.

This year, Hagar Services Coalition, Inc. will launch its Initiative for Leadership Engagement and Development, also known as ILEAD. This innovative program is a “call to action” in response to the need for increased voter turnout, better qualified candidates for elected office, greater resident civic participation and the community’s knowledge of how local government works. ILEAD is a professional community development initiative designed to stimulate greater civic participation locally and across the nation.

Contact Information:

Rose Jacobs Gibson

President/CEO

Hagar Services Coalition, Inc.

P.O. Box 51178

Palo Alto, California 94303

(650) 644-4228

Hagarservicescoalition@gmail.com

www.hagarservicescoalition.org

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Judy Smith - The REAL Olivia Pope of ABC7 Scandal

I have been a fan of ABC7's Scandal and the lovely Kerry Washington since the season started. However, meeting the real Olivia Pope, that would be JUDY SMITH, made the excitement much for enticing. I met Ms. Smith about 5 months ago at an event and was so happy to see how engaging, unassuming, delightful and unapologetic she was about her wit and intelligence.  

On Jan. 20th, Ken Coleman, technology giant and Special Advisor to Andreesen Horowitz, hosted a fireside chat with Judy Smith in their Menlo Park, CA office.  The chemistry between Ms. Smith and Ben Horowitz during the Q&A was the best I've seen in a long time.  When asked about how her career started, Judy shared that she had to be reminded by her childhood friend, affectionately known as 'beanhead', that her conflict resolution skills began at the age of 15 as she was always the neighborhood 'we can all work this out' negotiator. 

Judy's career in conflict resolution went through the roof right after her tenure as special assistant to the press secretary during President George H.W. Bush administration in 1991.  During her time with President Bush, some of her major work included PR guidance during the Clarence Thomas nomination, PR consulting during the Gulf War and dealing with US Kuwaiti relations.

While many saw the writing on the wall that President Bush would not be reelected, Judy stayed the course until the very end instead of leaving and looking for employment like many.  It was that tenacity, dedication and loyalty that lead to President Bush making several phone calls to key influentials in the political arena, sharing the stellar work Judy performed under his administration, that her phone began to ring constantly with requests for her services.  Since that time, Smith & Associates has been the most sought after crises management firm in the nation and beyond. 

Judy's most fascinating client was former Mayor Marion Barry.  According to Judy, even in light of his indiscretions and 6-month federal prison sentence for drug possession and use, Mr. Barry remained a 'people' person and very much connected to the community. Despite his history of political and legal controversies, Barry was a popular and influential figure in the local political scene.  After his release, he was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in 1992, and ultimately returned to the mayoralty in 1994, serving from 1995 to 1999. 

Judy Smith's book, "Good Self, Bad Self: How to Bounce Back from Personal a Crisis is a must read.

 
And go!

Post by Glass House Communications.