Aaron Nelson, president of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, says criticism of community leaders' local trips to other college towns is outdated. The trips began as exclusive affairs, but in recent years organizers have provided scholarships to help local nonprofit leaders and small business people going elected and university officials on the visits.
So Nelson bristled just a bit this week when local bloggers, including OrangePolitics and us, reported that three Carrboro aldermen and that town's manager won't be joining community members on September's trip to Ann Arbor.
"The last trip (to Madison, Wisc.) was universally lauded," Nelson said Monday. "We really tried to fix it." The Community Leadership Collaboration, sponsored by the chamber, raised about $10,000 in scholarship money that helped 20 people participate who otherwise might not have gone. A total of 102 people made the trip.
This time, 40 people have registered, which Nelson said is on par with registrations at the same point before the last trip. Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton is going, along with Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens, Orange County Board of Commissioners Chairman Barry Jacobs and new Chancellor Holden Thorp.
Nelson said the biggest benefit -- aside from the ideas that participants bring back -- is the new way local decision makers relate to one another. "Who'd spent two days with Dean Roper before?" he asked. "All of a sudden people see the hospital as human. Those relationships are a real important part (of the trips)."
Comments
Nelson's narrow rebuttal
Sun, 07/20/2008 - 10:22 — marcoplosAaron Nelson misses a large part of the public's concern about this trip. He focuses on a few scholarships as if to say that only the elitist aspect of the trip is of concern.
A central concern that he does not address is: what exactly does the community get for this huge investment of time & money? What have been the great results from past trips?
The only result Nelson has pointed to is that some of the anointed participants get to know each other better. If those people are incapable of finding a way to know each other a little better without leaving town, then they lack creativity and commitment.
So again, whare is the bang for the buck? What real accomplishments have originated form these trips and was the cost worth it?
Please Explain
Sun, 07/20/2008 - 15:12 — fhblackMark, just who is in this "public" that you reference that has all of these concerns?
Who in the community is investing the time and money that you are concerned about?
I think that the individuals, businesses, and non-profits that are signed up for another trip are saying that they got something of value fro their money. Let's not make it sound like this trip is a government subsidized trip because it isn't by a long shot. Sure there is public money used to pay the registrations of public sector attendees (and some get scholarships!), but let's try to be accurate about this.
Matter of fact, the Carrboro Board of Alderman approved money for their attendees in their budget and now they will not be coming along, except for the mayor, as I understand. I guess the concerns about the carbon footprint don't apply to all of the other trips they make, but so be it.
As for the benefits derived, this paper, as well as the CHH, the DTH and WCHL did a good job I thought in covering the Madison trip. I can't comment on others because I didn't attend, but Madison was well worth the money.
One of may most memorable experiences was interacting with the Madison street social worker and learning how it helps. We now have a street social worker in Chapel Hill. There are many other examples that you can find in what was written and said during and after the trip.
Leaders of public and private organizations and individuals have answered your bang for the buck question: they are attending again.
Corrected
Tue, 07/15/2008 - 16:44 — mschultz (author)Thanks, Brian. Just corrected. Mayor Tom Stevens, of course.
Small Correction
Tue, 07/15/2008 - 11:51 — BrianR (not verified)Isn't Tom Stevens Mayor of Hillsborough? :) You have Kevin Foy Mayor of two towns...
Thanks for the improvements to the commenting functionality, BTW.