• ACADEMIES
  
  • Certified Public Manager© Program
  • Public Management Academy
  • Executive Academy
  • S.T.A.R.T.
  • Supervisors Academy
  • Administrative Assistant Academy
  • Tailored In-House Academies
• TRAINING PROGRAMS
  
  • Stand Alone Workshops and Seminars
  • Leadership Forums
  • Film/Literature series
• CONSULTING SERVICES
  
  • Change Management
  • Culture Change
  • Customer Service
  • Executive Coaching
  • Strategic Planning
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  • Special Requests
• PRODUCTS
  
  • Competency Instrument
• ABOUT THE CENTRE
  
  • Our Mission
  • Our History
  • What Sets Us Apart
  • From Our Founder
  • Board of Directors
  • Our Consulting Staff
  • Our Clients
• CALENDAR
• CONTACT

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EVENTS CALENDAR

CALENDAR

The Centre's current offerings for Academies, Open Houses and Workshops.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Read February's Newsletter!

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• Critical Conversation:  Utilizing Feedback Opportunities to Enhance Employee Performance

  Monthly Article

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• Participate in our Research Study:  Inspiring Excellence in the Future of Public Service

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• UC San Diego Health System's Supervisors Academy #13 and Julie Riklin from The Centre hosted a meal at the Bannister Family House (BFH).

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• Apply to be a Consultant.

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• The Centre on the radio.

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Our Mission

The Centre for Organization Effectiveness is a team of organization development professionals who are dedicated to raising the caliber of leadership through competency-based education, development and consulting services. While we focus on public-sector and non-profit organizations, our cadre of consultants are equally skilled in the private sector.

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Our History

The Centre is organized as a Joint Powers Authority created by the City of San Diego and the San Diego Water Authority. We are a public-sector organization ourselves.

Since our inception in 1993 we have served over 135 clients, including 40 cities, 18 county, state or federal agencies, 24 special districts, water agencies and ports, 16 non-profit organizations, 10 education or health organizations, 4 retirement systems and 23 private sector organizations.

We have delivered over 100 leadership and management academies to over 3,000 participants, primarily in the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento regions. In 2010 we are expanding our service delivery area to include the Inland Empire and other regions in California.

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What Sets Us Apart

• We are the exclusive California provider of the Certified Public Manager® Program, which awards successful participants with a nationally-recognized credential.
• We are recognized by the State of California Department of Personnel Administration as a preferred provider of management training, meeting their requirements for competency-based education.
• Our alliance with UC San Diego Extension, enables us to combine the strengths, reach and insight of the University with our own seasoned expertise in public-sector leadership and organization development. In addition, Extension credit will be awarded for completion of top management academies.
• We have developed and validated an exclusive Competency Instrument, which drives a powerful 360 degree feedback process (from one's supervisor, peers and direct reports) to measure current levels of performance on 17 competencies judged to be critical to excellent performance in public-sector organizations.
• We have over fifty seasoned and award- winning consultants to deliver our services, with deep knowledge of the unique public-sector environment. Some have held senior level leadership positions in public-sector organizations, and many have won local, regional or national awards for their work.

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From Our Founder

There are several reasons for the unique spelling of the name "The Centre" and it is a story I always delight in telling. The hope for The Centre has always been that it be distinctive and spelling the name in a slightly different, Canadian, way is meant to be distinctive and is loaded with meaning for me. This was my subtle and respectful nod to the valuable experience I had attending graduate school at the University of Toronto and my gratitude for the fellowship opportunity I was given. It also represents the sociological and "big picture" impact on my thinking that living in Canada provided.

Trudy Sopp, Ph.D., Founder

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Board of Directors

Robert A. Clark, Chair

Robert A. Clark is a recognized leader in the fields of Community and Human Services, as well as Parks and Recreation. Robert's 1981 appointment as City of Santee's Director of Human Services, Public Works and Housing, made him the youngest director in the field in California. Robert has over 28 years of experience working for San Diego municipalities. Most recently as the City of Poway's Director of Community Services, Robert was responsible for a staff of 57 and 450 volunteers as well as the operations of all park and civic facilities; most recently a performing arts center, library, historical park, lake and ecological reserve and an extensive recreation program. He has long been a strong advocate of the value of leadership development in the public sector and has been recognized for his creativity, workplace innovation, and unique ability to recruit and develop exceptional staff and learning organizations.

Robert graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, a Master of Arts in Clinical/Community Psychology from Chapman University, and a Master of Organizational Leadership from Chapman University.

Paul Lanspery, Director

Paul Lanspery has 38 years of city management and professional experience in utilities consulting, including project management, organizational assessments and facilitation, and infrastructure planning and development. Recently retired from San Diego County Water Authority as the Deputy General Manager, Paul Lanspery played an instrumental role in the ongoing transition of the agency from a wholesale water transportation agency to a multi-service organization that includes water storage, water treatment, and execution of an aggressive Capital Improvement Program (CIP). In addition to the oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Water Authority, Paul Lanspery was responsible for the development and implementation of strategies to meet growing water demands to reduce the region's reliance on imported water. He also previously served as assistant city manager for Fort Collins, Colorado and city manager for San Luis Obispo, California; and Mercer Island, Washington. Paul Lanspery has broad experience with city management, extensive knowledge of organizational issues, experience providing strategic and business planning, and a pragmatic understanding of capital project management and delivery.

Paul Lanspery has a BS in political science from the State University of New York and a MPA from the University of Hartford in Connecticut. Additionally he has been an adjunct professor at Colorado State University and San Luis Obispo.

Dean Colli, Ed.D., Director

Dean Colli, Ed.D., has had a long and distinguished 35-year career in the California Community College system. He served most recently as the Interim President of Grossmont College, and retired from that post in July 2007. His duties included executive administration of the college with a particular focus on short- and long-range planning, budget and funding strategies, institutional assessment, college and district governance relationships, community relations, organizational structure, supervision and evaluation of Cabinet level administrators, and policy development. Dr. Colli's broad based experience have also included Vide President Academic Affairs at Grossmont, and positions with Modesto Junior College in Modesto, Hartnell College in Salinas, and Columbia College in Columbia.

Dr. Colli received his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of the Pacific in Stockton and his Master of Arts in Educational Supervision from the University of California in Santa Barbara.

Betsy Morris, Director

Betsy Morris is a highly accomplished leader and expert in housing programs and urban public policy. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Housing Commission, she was known for her policy leadership as well as relationship building and appropriate risk taking to achieve far-reaching goals. Betsy was responsible for managing an innovative, multifaceted housing agency with a budget in excess of $250 million and 245 employees. She designed and implemented a groundbreaking approach to conventional public housing, leveraging cash flow to finance additional affordable housing while enhancing the agency's financial stability. Under her leadership, Housing Commission programs have garnered dozens of awards for creativity and effectiveness, including development of a new office building in a mixed use, transit oriented complex. Throughout her career she has served as an officer and board member for numerous professional and community organizations.

Betsy graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and has completed Masters course work in Urban Planning.

Sommer Kehrli, Ph.D., Executive Director

Sommer Kehrli, Ph.D., is the Executive Director for The Centre for Organization Effectiveness.  Her background includes leading large-scale change management efforts, facilitating workshops, coaching leaders, and designing training programs.  Sommer's presentation expertise is in leading change, performance improvement, emotional intelligence, and generational issues in the workplace. 

Sommer has international experience in both the private and public sectors.  Sommer has been a guest presenter to the International City/County Management Association, International Public Management Association for Human Resources, National Management Association and the Annual Water Agencies Conference.  Sommer has also been a panelist for "Leadership Matters", a radio program for leaders. She has co-authored articles for HR Magazine and The Joint Commission Journal.

Sommer has a Ph.D. and Masters degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology) and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University.

Board Meeting Agenda - February 8, 2012

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Our Consulting Staff

The Centre's consultants are consistently recognized as leaders in leadership, management and organization development. They have received local and national awards from the San Diego Business Journal, California League of Cities, and the National Center for Public Productivity at Rutgers University for their work in service enhancement, diversity change efforts and leadership development.

To maximize the client experience at The Centre, we draw upon the expertise of over 50 top local and national consultants with backgrounds in business, psychology, sociology and public administration. They are available to assess your organizational needs and provide consulting expertise.

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Our Clients

To date, we have served over 150 clients, including the following:

Cities

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Counties and County Agencies

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Special Districts and Authorities

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Special Agencies

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Retirement Associations

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Schools, Universities and Healthcare

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State Agencies/Federal

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Non-Profit Organizations

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Private Sector

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