Utah Global Diplomacy is delighted to have launched its Citizen Diplomacy Certification as part of the International Leadership Academy! During the ten week course, the Citizen Diplomacy Certification cohort will dive into world affairs topics taught by dynamic local subject matter experts, and elevate their professional experience through immersive, hands-on activities.
We are halfway through the Citizen Diplomacy Certification! Week 5 we introduced Nate Blouin, a Senator in the Utah State Legislature. He has worked professionally in the renewable energy sector. He discussed renewable energy and shared that sometimes there are misunderstandings in moving toward cleaner systems because results do not happen overnight and engaging with others can dispel these misconceptions. He highlighted the value of collaboration, by sharing the impact of Brian Steed, the Great Salt Lake commissioner, who has been able to bring people together from both sides of the political aisle. Senator Blouin didn’t get a target elevation for the Great Salt Lake passed in the legislation, but it is now used in strategic plans to safeguard it. We discussed Utah's water rights and ways to engage including fostering conversations with rural communities, paying attention to task forces, and talking with Save Our Great Salt Lake and Friends of Great Salt Lake.
Dr. Kimberly DeGroff Madsen, Operational Excellence Manager for the State of Utah Legislature, introduced hands-on writing practices to refine our writing skills, especially when writing to professionals and legislators. She shared some ideas from a workshop by the National Conference of State Legislatures. These six tips were Bottom Line Up Front, Clear Structure and Organization, Chunked Text, Clear Specific Headers, Reliability, and Digestible Data. She helped us see how to refine these skills in real time by asking us to write “What three attributes or skills are most essential for someone to effectively perform your job/complete your degree and why?” She emphasized that communication is all about building relationships, building trust, and being considerate how what we share impacts others.Learn more about our Citizen Diplomacy Certification and other opportunities with our International Leadership Academy!
Learn more about our Citizen Diplomacy Certification and other opportunities with our International Leadership Academy!
