In 1994, Park City’s then public affairs director Myles Rademan founded Leadership Park City, a yearlong program to show participants how government works and provide an opportunity to work with other like-minded residents who are interested in creating community.
Now approaching 80, Rademan says it’s time to step aside and let someone else take the reins.
“Let's face it, your energy does change as you get older,” Rademan said. “And I just thought it was fair to the program itself, and to the community, that it's time for fresh blood. And that doesn't mean it has to change dramatically. But I didn't want to influence that this is the only way you can do a leadership program. There are many leadership programs around the country, a lot of them are quite different than ours. And hopefully, whoever takes the reigns now can look at all those what we've done and put their own stamp on it.”
While retiring from this position, Rademan says he and his wife plan to remain in Park City and continue to be involved and work with nonprofit organizations.
Park City has posted the job – it’s a part-time position that will involve working on evenings and weekends, including planning and executing the five-day intensive City Tour of other western communities.
While the salary for the job isn’t listed, Rademan expects it would equal a quarter to a third of the pay for a full-time administrative position.
While Rademan says the position is open for all to apply, he hopes it’s someone from the community who gets chosen.
“Because I just think knowledge of the community, being embedded in the community, doesn’t mean someone from the outside couldn’t figure that out,” he said. “I’d like to think somebody who is embedded in the community, who knows a lot of different people, is not afraid to show up. I always say to people that 90% of success is showing up. And here I am.”
The program he says isn’t a program about how to be a leader, but an introduction to people who are.
“I don't know how to teach leadership; what I can do is I can introduce you to people who I think are doing good things,” he said. “I can introduce you to other people in the class, and go on a City Tour together, and we can inspire you. I do talk about leadership about some of the qualities that I think work like showing up, like returning your phone calls, like being kind, like having perspective, by having empathy, not being afraid to take bold action, when that's necessary.”
Rademan is thrilled to see that there are still 100 people applying to enter the program every year.
“And so, what I'm most proud of is that it's 30 years and it's still going and people still want to do it and hopefully good people apply,” he said.
A link to apply for Director of Leadership Park City can be found in the web version of this report at kpcw.org. Applications are due by Nov. 30. A new director will be selected and will be paid per diem to attend the remaining scheduled days for Leadership Class 30 and City Tour.
Applications to be a member of Class 31 with the new director will open in August.
