Mission

The mission of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community is to initiate and sustain partnerships with urban neighborhoods and larger communities for both comprehensive community building and as a context for connected learning and scholarship.

Vision

The University of Dayton is a national leader in educating community builders through participation in community building partnerships. Teams of students, faculty, staff and alumni are contributing to a network of community building partnerships throughout the region that enriches our neighborhoods and communities and provides opportunities for connected learning.

Functions

The Fitz Center for Leadership in Community has four primary functions that are carried out by teams of students, faculty and Fitz Center staff working in partnership with neighborhood and community leaders.

• Initiate and sustain partnerships.
  Relationships are the basis for building trust and provide a context for service learning.
  
• Develop communities of learning, scholarship and practice.
  We do this by linking people around community visioning. We also provide workshops and symposia on community building, neighborhoods, university/community partnerships and Catholic social teaching.
  
• Develop curricular innovations around leadership in community.
  Curricular innovations include contributions to undergraduate courses and graduate offerings in public administration.
  
• Build community capacity for constructive deliberation and change.
  Building community capacity is done through research and evaluation as well as facilitation of community deliberation.

Ferree Professorship

Marianist Provincial Father William Ferree was recognized as a key spokesperson on the Catholic theory of social justice. In his honor, the Cincinnati Province of the Society of Mary has pledged $1 million to endow the Ferree Professor in the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community. The Ferree Professor will connect Catholic social teaching and the social sciences through the community-building mission of the Fitz Center. Brother Raymond L. Fitz is the first Ferree Professor.

Community Perspective

The nature of the leadership challenges in the Dayton community requires adaptive learning and leadership across professional and community sectors. The University of Dayton has established a reputation as an effective community partner, especially with urban Dayton on difficult community challenges. The University of Dayton adds value with a Center which brokers and leads ongoing community building partnerships.

Fitz Center Team

Lindsey Bungenstock	Student Intern
Laura Burgess	Student Intern
Char Cook-Robinson	Administrative Assistant
Cindy Currell	Research Associate
Brenda Donnelly, Ph.D.	Director of Research
Christopher Duncan, Ph.D.	Professor; Chair, Political Science
Dick Ferguson	Executive Director
Bro. Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., Ph.D.	Ferree Professor of Social Justice
Erin Fuller	Graduate Assistant
Judy Keyes	Sr. Administrative Secretary to Bro. Ray
Emily Klein	Student Intern
Dani Kusner	Student Intern
Dean Lovelace	Director, Dayton Civic Scholars
Alex Orlowski	Student Intern
Don Pair, Ph.D.	Geology (Rivers Institute)
Suzette Pico	Sr. Administrative Assistant
Jason Pierce, Ph.D.	Professor, Political Science
Jordan Rowan Fannin	Graduate Assistant
Meghan Russell	Student Research Assistant
Tim Shaffer	Graduate Assistant
Cilla Shindell	Public Relations
Bob Stoughton	Montg. Co. Family and Children First Council
Jana Strom	Asst. Coordinator – Semester of Service
Joanne Troha	Director, Community Service Learning
Don Vermillion	Director, Public Projects
Ashley M. Wagner	AmeriCorps*VISTA (Adventure Central)
Bro. Edward Zamierowski, S.M., Ph.D.	Coordinator, Semester of Service