North Park University Presents Axelson Center BootCamp for New Nonprofit CEOs on July 13 - 15

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Jun 6, 2011) - North Park University's Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management is pleased to announce that it will host its sixth annual BootCamp for New Nonprofit CEOs from Wednesday, July 13 through Friday, July 15 at its campus, located at 3225 West Foster Avenue in Chicago. The BootCamp is targeted to nonprofit leaders, at the CEO or executive-director level only, who have been in their role for three years or less. Participants will leave the BootCamp with a 90-day action plan that will maximize leadership effectiveness and organizational success.

Pier C. Rogers, Ph.D., director of North Park University's Axelson Center said, "The BootCamp is taught by experienced nonprofit leaders. Each session includes a unique combination of case studies, lectures, and peer learning opportunities to provide attendees with best practices and proven strategies for success."

Erin Ryan, the executive director for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter, who attended a previous BootCamp said, "Whether you are new to your organization, your leadership role, or both, BootCamp provides great opportunities for networking and provides you with answers to questions you didn't know to ask. I walked away armed with resources that I will be using for years to come."

A team of highly experienced leaders will lead sessions in the focus areas of mission, board governance, leadership style and capabilities, strategic management, financial management and planning, resource development, and legal and ethical issues. Participants will also leave the BootCamp with an individualized 90-day plan for their organization. These plans, which are developed under the guidance of BootCamp faculty, will lay out the specific action steps and major goals that each participant plans to pursue over the next several months. Based on a comprehensive assessment of their organization's major functions, these plans are designed to maximize leadership effectiveness and organizational success.

Faculty for the BootCamp includes:

• Robert B. Acton, J.D. - Executive director of Taproot Foundation (NYC); former executive director at Cabrini Green Legal Aid and adjunct professor at the North Park University School of Business and Nonprofit Management
• Jimmie R. Alford, LL.D., L.H.D. - Founder and chair of The Alford Group and executive in residence at the North Park University School of Business and Nonprofit Management
• Bill Braden - Coordinator of leadership development programs for the Axelson Center and a retired CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago
• Richard L. Jones, Ph.D. - President and CEO of Metropolitan Family Services
• Mary F. Morten - President of the Morten Group
• Nancy Kim Phillips, M.B.A. - President of NKP Consulting, LLC
• Kathryn Vanden Berk, J.D. - Attorney at law offices of Kathryn M. Vanden Berk, LLC
• Eric Weinheimer - President and CEO of the Cara Program
• Amy Wishnick - President, Wishnick & Associates LLC

The cost of the BootCamp is $695 ($495 for organizations with operating budgets less than $1 million) and includes all program materials, meals, and a resource CD. More information, including an application, is available at www.northpark.edu/Axelson/Bootcamp

About the Axelson Center
North Park University's Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, established in 1999, seeks to enhance the performance and effectiveness of individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector through education, service and resources. The Axelson Center's vision is to help build vibrant communities in Chicago and beyond through strengthening nonprofit leadership. For more information, visit www.northpark.edu/axelson.

About North Park University
Located in Chicago, North Park University is a Christian comprehensive university that serves nearly 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students of all faiths and diverse multicultural backgrounds from around the country and the world. North Park offers a values-based education to students through more than 30 undergraduate majors and an adult degree-completion program, as well as graduate and continuing education in business, nonprofit management, nursing, education, music, and theology. By integrating faith with learning and service -- as it has done since its founding in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church -- North Park University continues to focus on the important task of preparing students for lives of significance and service. More information is available at www.northpark.edu.