NAVEX 1st Quarter 2017 Edition First Edition | Page 8

Joseph Giannattasio, USCG Aux
Met Them in St. Louis: A P
Story by Thom
It was a cold and dreary Saturday afternoon when I
arrived in St. Louis. After unpacking, I reviewed my
notes from the pre-resident homework assignment
for the Senior Leadership Course (AUX-05) for
District Captains (DCAPT), Directors (DIRs), and
Deputy Directors (DIR-ds).
The class had 36
senior leaders of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Subjects included the 28 Leadership Core Values,
communication, transitional planning, and expanding
our vision beyond our units. The weather became
pleasant and I met new colleagues and old friends.
Last year, senior leaders saw great value in gathering
the DCAPTs, DIRs, and DIR-ds to participate in the
Leadership training in hopes of extending the scope
of potential future National Auxiliary Commodores
(NACOs). United States Coast Guard Commandant
Admiral Paul F. Zunkunft set a primary mission for
our leadership, meet the human capital needs of the
Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary.
One of the key elements we focused on was distance
learning. This form of connecting with people is key
to our future. It will allow us to reach larger numbers
of both current and potential members. In this course
we learned how to establish a GoToMeeting webinar,
create a Power Point presentation on Recreational
8
Boating Safety, and share our screens with the class,
giving us first-hand knowledge on how to facilitate
such classes. This technology will also provide for
distance learning and meetings for National Staff
members or members that may be unable to travel.
Mel Borofsky, USCG Aux
CLASS PHOTO: Shown are the 36 participants in the Senior Leadership