A shift is taking place. Labeling kids with behavior we don’t want has proven to be make things worse. Kids are not “drop-outs”, they are children coping with circumstances most of us cannot or don’t want to imagine. It’s not just about schools getting better. Adaptive change is obviously needed regarding career paths yet…. It’s […]
Outcomes—it’s all about outcomes. Most agree. Yet when they don’t happen the search must begin to answer the question “Why not?”. In 2000, we realized that the “why not” in Fresno was the culture. We lacked trust. We were fragmented. Many had given up and believed poverty was inevitable. Speaking out was hard as conflicts […]
We talk a lot about stewardship. What does it really mean? What does it mean for Fresno? The FBC is in the community transformation business. In this context a steward takes the time to understand an issue deeply before acting. A steward develops collaborative and peacemaking skills to ensure outcomes that stick. These skills demand […]
Interdependence. What does it mean? John Muir explains, “”When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” As we keep learning in Fresno, a negative act can trigger a cycle of deterioration. Research shows that if you don’t fix broken windows, clean up litter, or […]
Many of you may have attended either the terrific career technical education conference convened by State Center Consortium or one of the events with the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The core message from both events was the same: a low cost, easily scaled solution to social issues is caring relationships. The […]
Greetings! As the first month of this new year is already at a close, I am reminded at how quickly time passes and how important it is to focus on each opportunity presented to us. Recently, the Fresno Business Council celebrated its 20th anniversary. Milestones like these are times to pause; to both look back […]
“Progress of the cities is in everyone’s best interest,” explains longtime columnist and thought leader Neal Peirce. I am simply forwarding his message below because he speaks directly to the work going on in Fresno and communities across the globe. Residents have come together to solve problems that have outgrown old ideas, beliefs and structures. […]
What do you do when you care passionately about an issue? In the past, the answer was start a nonprofit. Today, the answer is find out what it already going on, see how you can help, and only if there is a gap start something new. Scarcity led to the creation of many nonprofits. Many […]
In case you missed it, check out the guest editorial Pete Weber and I submitted to The Fresno Bee about Fresno Unified. http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/08/18/3448515/nankivell-and-weber-accelerating.html It is hard to describe the level of brokenness we uncovered in district. The morale was so low, staff were often in tears as they expressed their frustration and lack of hope […]
Members & Partners of the Fresno Business Council, No doubt many of you attended the celebratory event to honor the tenure of Dr. John Welty on Saturday. It was wonderful to celebrate with so many of the people that have worked for years to make our community a vibrant place. It is only when we […]
