The Project on Civic Reflection, under Elizabeth Lynn’s leadership, has grown in leaps and bounds and brought very meaningful dialogue to my life, as well as many others. The announcements, below, were made this week.
I wish Elizabeth the best of luck in this new chapter of her life. I wish Adam all the best as well as he takes on the helm of the Center for Civic Reflection!
“New Leadership, New Look, New Name…
“. . . but still many familiar faces and the same solid work.
“Beginning next month and continuing into the fall, the Project on Civic Reflection will be undergoing some big changes that we are excited to share with you.
“First, we report with bittersweet feelings that our founder and leader, Elizabeth Lynn, will be stepping down as director effective July 1. Elizabeth established the Project on Civic Reflection at Valparaiso University in 1998, with generous support from the Lilly Endowment. Begun as a local experiment in Northwest Indiana, PCR has evolved under Elizabeth’s leadership into the leading resource center nationwide for reflective humanities-based discussion. Service, education and cultural groups and organizations are now using the practice of civic reflection to build community and deepen commitment to civic life.
“After more than a decade of intensive practical experimentation and organization-building, Elizabeth will take a new position as Senior Research Fellow in Humanities and Civic Life at Valparaiso University. During her fellowship she will focus on communicating what she has learned from her leadership of PCR to relevant audiences in the public humanities, higher education, and civic studies. The projects she undertakes will place the practice of civic reflection in larger contexts and work to deepen understanding of the value of the humanities and reflection in American civic life.
“We wish Elizabeth well and are pleased that she will have the opportunity to reflect and write deeply and at length, in ways that founding and leading a busy organization did not often allow. But we will miss her daily presence and guidance a great deal. Fortunately for us, Elizabeth will remain connected to the Project in several ways. In addition to writing about the work of the Project on Civic Reflection since its founding, she will continue sharing her experience and wisdom with the staff and will serve on our advisory board. We send all warm wishes with Elizabeth as she enters this new phase of her professional life.
“Second, we are delighted to share the good news that Adam Davis, PCR’s current Director of Trainings and Publications, will assume the position of director on July 1. A longtime colleague and senior staff member, Adam has been the catalyst for PCR’s highly successful work with national service and developed many popular resources and publications for reflective discussion. As PCR’s master facilitator, lead trainer, and publications ace, Adam has done much to spread the practice of civic reflection nationwide. He is the editor of Hearing the Call across Traditions, co-editor with Elizabeth Lynn of The Civically Engaged Reader, and editor of Taking Action, forthcoming from the Great Books Foundation. Adam is the founder and lead facilitator of the Illinois Humanities Council’s “Justice Talking” program for AmeriCorps members, which has been replicated under the name “The Meaning of Service” in fifteen states.
“Third, a further piece of good news: Kelli Covey, who opened PCR’s Chicago office in 2008, will assume the role of associate director. Kelli has been instrumental in defining the impact–and raising the visibility—of PCR’s work over the last three years, as well as in growing our work in the fields of service, higher education, and public programming. Kelli will continue her work as a trainer, facilitator, and consultant while also leading marketing and communications efforts, including the redevelopment of PCR’s web site. Her previous position was as senior development officer at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Her commitment to service and social justice has included work with the Pan-African Association, the Keep a Child Alive initiative, and VISTA, where she spent her service year on a Dakota reservation.
“And finally, we are changing our name, but keeping our home. We’ll make the big announcement with the launch of our new web site in the fall of 2011, but in the meantime, we want our friends to know that the Project on Civic Reflection will soon become the Center for Civic Reflection. We will also continue and deepen our longtime relationship with Valparaiso University, becoming a formal program of the university’s honors college.
“We’re excited to have Adam and Kelli lead the Center for Civic Reflection into the future and look forward to continued partnership and discussion with all of you. Stay in touch with us—and stay tuned for further announcements later this fall. We will keep you posted.”
For more info, visit http://www.civicreflection.org/.