Using her professional skills to pass on the MCLP experience is a gift from this year’s MCLP Alumni Award recipient, Gina Defa.
Gina is Manager of Agency Business Consulting at COUNTRY Financial, where she previously served as a Senior Agency Training Instructor and Agency Manager. Her background in training delivery gave her valuable skills to assist the Multicultural Leadership Program classes for the past three years.
Each year, a new class of MCLP participants goes through the intensive eight month program, with multiple full-day and evening sessions. Keeping the class sessions moving — as multiple presenters, panelists, discussions, projects, and activities are woven throughout the curriculum — is no small task.
For each new class, one or two MCLP alumni volunteer to serve as the next year’s class facilitators. Gina has been the continuity and glue holding this process together.
After experiencing the program as a Class of 2012 participant, Gina immediately volunteered to facilitate the Class of 2013. She continued to train and mentor program facilitators for the next two years, helping them better understand how adults learn, how to facilitate class discussions and how to provide learners with a seamless and authentic learning experience.
Gina has served on three MCLP committees — curriculum, alumni and recruitment. She has also served as a mentor for individual class participants, as each MCLP participant is matched with a community mentor who helps them navigate their personal challenges and opportunities.
MCLP functions like any community non-profit organization; it functions because of the generosity of dedicated volunteers. Besides being a busy professional and mother of three, Gina Defa, Class of 2012 Alum, has continued to pass on the MCLP experience to each new class—using her professional skills to ensure that each MCLP class has a positive, meaningful and transformational experience.
Gina will receive her award at the April 25 Class of 2015 Graduation Celebration. Please join us!