Source: City of Broken Arrow
Fourteen employees graduated from City of Broken Arrow-University (COBA-U) leadership training on March 8.
This year’s class represents a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. We congratulate the following graduates:
- Fire Training Officer Wade Ambrose
- Refuse Collector Jeremy Banks
- Benefits Coordinator Michelle Duffy
- Senior Civil Litigation Attorney Rachel Fields
- Water Plant Manager Lou Ann Fisher
- Mechanic Matthew Green
- Recreation Center Supervisor Matthew Her
- Marketing and Communications Coordinator Erin Hofener
- Network Systems Manager Phil Morris
- Permit Technician Makala Neeley
- Assistant Utilities Director Brandy Parks
- Stormwater Superintendent David Reinke
- 911 Dispatcher Lisa Smith, and
- Permit Clerk Ericka Berry
City Manager Michael Spurgeon congratulated the graduates at a ceremony held at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center. COBA-U is part of Spurgeon’s vision to build leaders within the City.
“If you desire to move up to the next level, if you want to be a director someday, then I encourage you to talk to the HR Director and her team and find out the requirements for that next position,” Spurgeon said. “Nothing makes me prouder than to be able to say we have the ability and the talent to fill those positions internally.”
This year’s graduates completed 96 hours of class work in the last 11 months, including departmental tours and presentations with leadership training provided by an outside facilitator.
The classes were engaging, informative, and great leadership-building tools. Discussion topics included:
- *Self-awareness and Emotional Intelligence,
- * Diversity and Unconscious Bias,
- * Building Effective Teams,
- * Conflict Management/Resolution,
- * Delivering and Receiving Feedback,
- * Time Management,
- * Motivating and Empowering Employees,
- * Difficult Conversations,
- * Customer Service, and
- * Servant Leadership
To others considering attending COBA-U or considering applying for a career at the City of Broken Arrow, Ericka Berry recommended that if you get the opportunity, “Take it.”
“I want to continue to grow and absorb information and learn new things, and we learn new things every day,” Berry said. “We’re leaders. I’m not in a leadership position yet, but in my life, I’m a leader to my children and my siblings I am a leader. Whatever opportunities are available, take it to better yourself.”
Originating in 2017, COBA-U fosters departmental relationships and promotes employee recognition and leadership development. The program was discontinued during the pandemic and relaunched in April 2023.
“This year’s team name is ‘Launched Arrows,’ and we chose that name because we are the first class of the relaunched COBA-U program,” said City of Broken Arrow Employee Engagement Coordinator Cheryl Owens, who facilitated COBA-U with Training and Development Manager Karen Purnell.
The program aims to educate participants on how each department connects to fulfill the City’s mission to serve our citizens while providing a platform to enhance and develop leadership skills.
“Each month, we invited directors to volunteer to come in and speak with the group and talk about their journeys to become leaders,” Owens said. “One of the favorite parts for me and the team was the tours of the City facilities, seeing how the city works, not just in our areas, but how all departments must work together to make the city work for the citizens.”
Travel and Economic Development Marketing and Communications Coordinator Erin Hofener said the knowledge she gained from the classes came right on time for her.
“I ended up in an interim position just as COBA-U started,” Hofener said. “So, I had to learn a new job and learn leadership training at the same time. These leadership skills have already helped me navigate this new role, and the timing turned out to be really good.”
Employees must be full-time, non-probationary, with no progressive disciplinary actions in the last 90 days. They also must commit to the entire one-year program. Classes are held one day per month from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The final two months are reserved for a team project and the COBA-U award ceremony.
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