Thirteen Springfield Police Lieutenants and Sergeants graduated from Babson College’s Professional Leadership Program on Friday. Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood visited and spoke to the class on Friday and helped to hand out their certificates.
The Police Leadership Blue Sky Program is taught by Babson College Faculty and was held in seven full-day sessions on Friday’s at the Springfield Police Training Facility on Page Boulevard. The program is designed to help drive a culture of creativity and innovation in decision-making and leadership skills as well as build better relationships within the community. Eight Lieutenants and five Sergeants attended this program.
Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood stated, “I’d like to thank Babson College and its staff, this professional development training is in line with the highest professional standards and will also assist us in our pursuit of obtaining state certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC). Professional Development and leadership training is an area that we continue to address at the Springfield Police Department as it is vital for our Supervisory staff. “We strive to provide the best training and education for all our Supervisors and Mayor Sarno has supported this mission from the onset.”
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood and I want to thank Babson College for their continued support of the City of Springfield Police Department as the Department embraces the goals of the Police Leadership Blue Sky Program. Under Superintendent Clapprood’s leadership, our SPD continues to enhance their professional development training for their supervisors that is in line with the highest professional standards. I applaud Superintendent Clapprood and her leadership team for their efforts in advancing this initiative to enhance the leadership skills of our brave and dedicated men and women in Blue.”
This was a continuation of Superintendent Clapprood’s approach to provide professional development training for Springfield Police Department’s Supervisors. In March 2022 a dozen Springfield Police Lieutenants graduated from this Babson program. In July 2021 Superintendent Clapprood sent ten Sergeants to a professional development course taught by then Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn, a member of the POST Commission created by the Massachusetts Police Reform Bill, and co-sponsored by American International College.
The program focused on taking care of yourself in a stressful profession, performance management and decision-making under stress. Additionally an important aspect of the program was the completion of the Reflected Best Self Exercise which was developed at the University of Michigan and reviewed in the Harvard Business Review. The program is taught by Babson College Faculty members Scott Taylor and Dwight Gertz.
Taylor is an Assistant Professor and the Inaugural Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership at The Blank School at Babson College. His research focuses on leadership assessment and development. He has worked with more than 50 companies including the National Football League, Biogen, Pfizer and the City of Albuquerque.
Gertz is a Senior Lecturer of strategy, leadership and executive decision-making at Babson. He has 25 years of experience including teaching admirals in the United States Navy. Gertz served as an active and reserve officer in the United States Navy where he retired as a Captain.
Former Miami (FL) Police Chief Raymond Martinez was also a guest speaker during this program.
