New Connections @ AEA

New Connections grantees Alberto Cardelle and Hanh Cao Yu, both funded by the Human Capital Team, will be presenting at Evaluation 2011. The session titled, Examining and Understanding the Power and Impact of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Community Health Leaders Programs, will be chaired by Laura Levitton, Senior Adviser for Evaluation at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The panel will be held at the Hilton Anaheim in Balboa C on Saturday, Nov 5, 9:50 AM to 11:20 AM.

Critical Leadership Pathways Among the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Rural Community Health Leaders
Alberto Cardelle, East Stroudsburg University

The paper presents the results of an evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Community Health Leaders (CHL) program. Specifically it identifies the critical life pathways taken by the leaders working on rural health issues. The evaluation used a mixed method approach. It used social network analysis to identify the paths that the leaders took to their positions and it developed and analyzed in-depth cases studies of 12 leaders. The evaluation integrated both analyzes to identify the pathways and the common factors across the different leadership experiences. The results show that the critical components of rural leaders' pathways included: early exposure to social injustice and an activist family member; a passion for an ideal; experience with networks, that gave them exposure to government entities and other leaders in their community; skills that allowed them to be problem solvers; and a history of seeking positions of leadership.

The Powerful Pathways of Diverse San Francisco Bay Area Community Health Leaders
Hanh Cao Yu, Social Policy Research Associates

This presentation highlights the results of a qualitative study that drew from leadership dialogue circles, and biographical interviews of 9 San Francisco Community Health Leaders (CHLs). The evaluation analyzed the influential forces and defining events that shaped CHLs' paths to leadership and employed a framework for analysis that incorporated "critical life maps." CHLs' identities and philosophies were shaped by their families, living abroad, immigration to the USA, various mentors, coming of age during the Civil Rights Movement, and catalytic experiences to overcome adversity and find inner strength. CHLs' achieved breakthroughs despite struggles to staying true to self and community needs; maintaining organizational focus and cutting edge; collaborating effectively, and negotiating political processes. The leaders' arrival into legitimate power and greatness was meaningfully punctuated by the RWJF leadership award which further impacted their leadership trajectory, supported their networking, and enabled them to leverage the award in organizational development and programmatic work.