Tom Roberts should have more time on campus to cultivate students’ leadership skills thanks to his appointment to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission that began last Monday, March 2.
“I’m really excited about helping the next generation of leaders develop those skills,” Roberts says.
Roberts, who has been in public service for 22 years, will continue to lead the Sinclair Ohio Fellows Leadership Development Program, which seeks to help students become leaders in their community. He hopes to take the program to the “next level.”
“Part of my goal is to help them [students] develop their leadership skills, and in doing that, expect them to take on a leadership role either on campus or in the community,” Roberts says.
Some skills that he hopes to promote in student leaders are emotional intelligence and “servant leadership,” or the philosophy of leading by serving others.
“My goal is that any student who comes to Sinclair and wants some leadership experience, and develop those leadership skills, I would be able to provide that for them,” says Roberts.
Roberts was a Sinclair student in the 1970s. He believes that he can have an impact on students who want to be leaders.
“I know what a fine institution [Sinclair] is as a student. And now that I’m on the staff at Sinclair, and work in leadership development, I know what a tremendous contribution I can make to students who want to be leaders,” Roberts says.
Roberts stepped down from his Senate seat to join the commission last week. He says the position will allow him to serve the public beyond term limits. His Senate term would have ended Dec. 2010.
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission is a panel of five members who enforce state laws against discrimination. The commission can hear appeals and conduct investigations relating to discrimination of race, creed, gender, age, disability and more.
“Individuals have to have a vehicle by which they can have [acts of discrimination] remedied or corrected, and that’s the role of the Civil Rights Commission, to correct those issues,” says Roberts.
For more information about the Ohio Fellows, call 512-2509 or visit http://www.sinclair.edu/organizations/fellows/.