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Roger Sherman '79, and the organization he directs, has won an award for outstanding community leadership.

The Ford Foundation has announced the United Vision For Idaho, in Boise and Moscow, Idaho, is among the 17 winners of the 2005 Leadership for a Changing World Awards. Leadership for a Changing World seeks to recognize, strengthen and support leaders and to highlight the importance of community leadership in improving people's lives. The program seeks to confirm that resourceful leaders are bringing about positive change in virtually every community. Together with these leaders, Leadership for a Changing World "hopes to facilitate a new dialogue about community leadership, one that encourages others to appreciate that leadership comes in many forms and from many different communities."

Each year, Leadership for a Changing World recognizes 17-20 leaders and leadership groups not broadly known beyond their immediate community or field. Nominated community leaders may work in fields that include: economic development; community development; environment and environmental justice; human rights; citizen participation and government accountability; human development; sexual and reproductive health; education reform; youth development; religion and social change; arts and social action; and access to media, including new technologies.

The leaders of United Vision for Idaho are Executive Director Jim D. Hansen; Financial Manager and Project Coordinator Gloria Muñoz; Program Director/Organizer Sherman; Coordinator Lucinda Hormel; and Director Judith Brown.

United Vision for Idaho (UVI) took shape in 1995, when a group of organizations decided to link their efforts to even the playing field for marginalized citizens. It is now comprised of 24 groups, ranging from Church Women United to the Idaho State AFL-CIO, to the Idaho Conservation League, to the Idaho Hispanic Caucus. A press release announcing the award states, "The founders of United Vision for Idaho understood that these groups, many of which are narrowly focused, could increase their effectiveness by creating a multi-issue organization that would consolidate power, expertise and membership. Together, they could bring voter-rights issues, campaign-finance reform and tax-policy ideas into the public spotlight. UVI's leaders -- Jim Hansen, Gloria Muñoz, Roger Sherman, Judy Brown and Lucinda Hormel - say their commitment flows from their diverse faiths (Catholic, Buddhist, Unitarian and Episcopal) and is 'motivated by our association with people who share a passion for organizing for social change.'"

Prior to joining UVI in 1996, Sherman worked as training coordinator for the Idaho Primary Care Association. He was also the lead organizer and then executive director of Idaho Citizen's Network for seven years, organizing low-income citizens on health care, consumer and economic justice issues. Sherman is a past president of the board of the Western States Center and past chair of the Social Action Committee of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Earning his St. Lawrence degree in government, Sherman was active in the Thelomathesian Society (student government organization), earned department honors and participated in the University's program of study in Kenya. He was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha (government honorary), Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honorary society.

For more information:
United Vision for Idaho Web Site
Leadership for Change Web Site

Posted: November 17, 2005