Citizens' College : Fall 2006 Class Graduates!

Fourteen residents from across the breadth and depth of Chatham county ranging in age from Seniors in High School to Senior Citizens were recognized at a commencement ceremony upon completion: "How Government Works". "One thing I learned for sure," stated a participant in a reflection period during the final session, "is how little I really knew about county government." Chatham county as one of the largest of North Carolina’s 100 counties in land area, comprising 709 square miles, provides special challenges for its system of government. Fortunately, governmental entities in Chatham are assisted in providing services by numerous not-for-profit agencies and organizations (far more than are found in most other NC counties). Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities – Institute, Inc. is one such non-profit group that seeks to empower citizens to enhance Chatham’s future through educational programs such as Citizen’s College. In cooperation with Chatham county government and the office of the County Manager, it launched "Chatham Citizens’ College: How Government Works" in the Spring of 2006. Facilitated by CCEC – Institute’s Rita Spina and Assistant County Manager Renee Paschal, the course takes students on "field trips" around the county to meet on site with key staff people who form the "behind-the-scenes" team that manages and coordinates all the work of government that goes in to running a broad and diverse county 365 days a year. By the end of the sessions of hop-scotching around the county one evening each week, students were duly impressed by the amount of work accomplished and by the abilities of those who manage to perform minor miracles in the face of ever increasing demands. A reoccurring theme that emerged from discussion and student feedback dealt with the desire for ways and means of bridging the gaps that separate the diverse population spread across the large geographic footprint of Chatham, and how government can help to facilitate such bridge building. The promotion of citizen input on matters vital to the health and well-being of the entire county, along with more opportunities for citizens to become better informed about key issues and how government manages them, are but two means toward that end. Along this line, another wish expressed by many students is that more and more Chatham citizens would take advantage of this unique opportunity to interact with their governmental leaders as provided by Citizens’ College. While it is the kind of "core curriculum" that every citizen would benefit from, as attested to by those who have done so, too few people are yet aware of it. Some members of this class hope to change that by committing themselves to spreading the word in a variety of ways. To a person, each Citizen College graduate always expresses appreciation for Chatham as a great place to live, and for government leaders who give of their time and talents to work for and work with citizens. As citizens get to know their leaders, they feel empowered to work along side them to assist in doing what it takes to enhance Chatham’s future.

Front row: Rita Spina (facilitator), Reece Jones, Amy Chau, Barbara Fissel, Ruth Bierhoff, Patrick Casey, Susan Fairbrother Back row: Renee Paschal (facilitator), Jasmine Blackwell, Joe Fraser, John Cross, Craig Fairbrother, Mohamed Ahmed, Dick Havill Absent: Deb McManus, Stewart Sayres, Lori Sisco

It isn’t too soon to inquire about enrolling in the 2008 class scheduled to begin February 14th-March 27th, or to lend your financial support. Contact CCEC-Institute via e-mail at info@chathamcitizens.org, or call 919-932-3132. (Article and photos by Gary Simpson)