1. Topic Description
As the community planning process responds to the changing HIV/AIDS epidemic, both planning members and planning leaders are more diverse across a wide range of personal identifiers. More members and leaders are people of color, both genders and varying sexual orientations, HIV positive, and representing communities whose interests are highly vested in both the process and outcomes of community planning. As members move to leadership roles, they often find their community’s expectations escalating while they strive to move from representation to leadership. The workshop is designed to work with new leaders to explore this powerful personal transition and its implications for diverse and reflective community planning leadership.
2. Issues to Be Discussed
Three key issues will be discussed in this interactive workshop:
 The diversity of current community planning leadership (particularly along race, class, sexual orientation, and serostatus, and other relevant personal identifiers);
 The importance and contribution of diverse leadership visions, styles, and skills;
 The tensions new leaders may encounter as they learn to manage an inclusive planning process while their communities expect more and more of them;
 Specific strategies for achieving balance in your life, your changing identities, and your commitments while leading a community planning process.
A series of short exercises will be used to help participants articulate their own personal identifiers, the communities they represent, the dynamics of their broader communities and the HIV epidemic, and the ways in which those dynamics challenge and/or support them as new leaders.
Learning Objectives: Describe the difference between representing a community as a planning process member and leading an inclusive community-wide planning process;. Identify three potential conflicts regarding their personal identities and leadership roles that new community planning leaders might encounter; Discuss ways to retain community linkages while serving as a planning group leader Identify three strategies for maintaining balance and perspective as a community planning leader
Keywords: Community Planning, Community Participation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Community planning groups in six urban settings
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.