Leadership Seminar Concentrates on Group Command

Group command was the focus when Civil Air Patrol’s National Mentorship Program convened online Jan. 22 and 29 for its third topic in the Leadership Development Virtual Seminar series. 

Seminar topics included roles and responsibilities of the group commander along with the group commander selection process, communicating with the group, risk management, and more. 

In addition to region vice commanders, wing commanders, and group commanders who made presentations, more than 65 participants heard CAP’s former national commander, Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, address one of his favorite subjects -- servant leadership.

“I feel truly fortunate to see the depth of knowledge offered over the course of this seminar,” said Lt. Col. Louis Fenech, the New York Wing’s Long Island Group commander, who headed the committed that organized, planned, and executed the sessions.

“The years of experience and quality of the presentations represented by the speakers is an asset to the mentoring of our members.”  

Col. Eugene Egry, deputy seminar director and Mid-Atlantic Region vice commander, described the seminar as “an important learning experience for our members who aspire to ever-increasing leadership roles in CAP.  A group commander role may be the first opportunity a member is challenged to be a leader leading leaders.”

“During this seminar we stressed the importance of servant leadership and supporting our commanders at each echelon. Students can leverage what they learned immediately to shape the lives of our members as we all serve to accomplish our missions with excellence,” he said.

Cols. Celeste Gamache, former Colorado Wing commander, and Mark Lee, Northeast Region vice commander, rounded out the committee.

Each day ended with a panel of current and past group commanders who answered participants’ questions on the day’s lectures and other topics.  seminar in the future. 

The next seminar will focus on squadron command.

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Col. James A. Ridley Sr.
Chief of Staff
Northeast Region