The SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy was initiated in response to a goal set forth in the Technologist Section Strategic Plan in 2007. The original objective was to “maintain the continued growth of the organization through mentoring and professional development.” The Technologist Section National Council of Representatives and Executive Board felt that it was important to ensure that there was an on-going pipeline of leaders at the chapter and national level. Through the creation of the Leadership Academy, a group of technologist emerging leaders who understood the crucial role of leadership development and who were eager to begin the path to chapter and national leadership and organizational success were brought together for a two-and-a-half day leadership development course.
The First Annual Leadership Academy, spearheaded by D. Scott Holbrook, BS, CNMT, PET, FSNMTS, Technologist Section Immediate Past President, was held September 14–16, 2007, in Berkley, CA. This first academy comprised 12 emerging technologist leaders, who were hand selected by the SNMMI-TS Leadership.
Following the first academy, C. David Gilmore, EdD, CNMT, RT(R)(N), FSNMMI TS, Technologist Section President, created a Leadership Academy Task Force, chaired by Marcia Hess-Smith, BS, CNMT, Leadership Academy attendee and Member-at-Large on the SNMTS Executive Board, to decide the future of the academy, including the application and selection criteria for future attendees. The Task Force presented the application and selection process to the Executive Board, and in 2008 applications were accepted for the first time.
Academy activities focused on several different leadership-building techniques. Activities included a multitasking problem that enabled the group to explore stages of team development, effective communication, clarifying roles and goals and decision-making; a discussion regarding the difference between a team and effective group that helped attendees to identify in which stage a team is and what is needed from leadership to help them progress to the next stage more quickly; and exercises to establish effective listening guidelines, with practice and self-evaluation.
The academy has continually accepted between 10–15 technologists a year and was held as a stand-alone event for several years, until 2012, when the academy transitioned to be in conjunction with the Mid-Winter Meeting. This change was made to provide an opportunity for Leadership Academy graduates to participate in the National Council of Representatives meeting and be paired with an experienced NCOR member to mentor them throughout the meeting. In addition, in 2015, the SNMMI-TS decided to expand the academy to include 3 students to attend and participate in a two-day leadership event. This was a great opportunity for students to gain the knowledge needed to be a successful leader all while interacting with leaders in the field. This tradition has continued for the past five years.
The SNMMI-TS has been fortunate enough to have retained the same facilitator throughout the last 13 years—Shawn Dunning contracted through Adventure Associates. Shawn is a seasoned trainer, facilitator, mediator, leadership coach, and public speaker and has served thousands around the world to resolve conflict and develop their collaborative leadership skills. His style is fueled by a blend of challenge and fun, and his passions for problem-solving, personal development, and team development are grounded in his expertise in communication, psychology, and conflict resolution. He is a leading expert in adventure-based conflict resolution. It is with Shawn’s dedication and extensive leadership expertise that the academy has continued to grow over the past 13 years.
Since its inception, the SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy has graduated 182 individuals! For a list of Leadership Academy graduates, see the supplemental materials at http://tech.snmjournals.org.
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