It was a sincere pleasure to host Port Saint Lucie Mayor, Greg Oravec recently at the school’s sixth Student Leadership Summit. The mayor fielded a variety of questions from sixth grade Sharks students and interacted with the large group of students for nearly two hours. The Leadership Summits, held in the school’s Media Center, have been host to Florida State Representative, Gayle Harrell, SLC school board member, Deborah Hawley, Deputy City Manager of Fort Pierce, Nick Mimms, a cadre of twelve local veterans and SLC Children’s Services Council Communications Coordinator, Ashley Mock. Each community leader extended the list and scope of leadership skills required to be a strong leader.
The list of qualities includes: you must love the people you lead, be flexible, be organized, respect your people, be capable of seeing the “big picture,” give much positive feedback, ability to delegate, use humor, be a constant learner, have integrity, be a good listener and from Mayor Oravec, “have credibility!”
Mayor Oravec responded to students questions about his strengths, his weaknesses, his history, his legacy, his correctable mistakes and he gave a personal message to each student, to “not hide from your mistakes, to own it, learn from it and get better as a result!” He spoke about his desire to have the Cross Town Parkway completed and to bring jobs and higher wages to our community. Mr. Mayor told the students his favorite leader in history was President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a Rough Rider, a sportsman, an avid outdoorsmen, a reformer and he was all about “Doing!” Mayor Oravec said, “We need more Do’ers and it starts with you!”
Mayor Oravec recommended a book to teachers and students entitled, “Good To Great” by Jim Collins about having the right people in the right places. His responses to student posed questions were terrific and his demeanor of leadership and strength spoke volumes to the young students. Northport K-8 School middle grades students, teachers, parents and media specialist, Lynne Gruszka along with many community and local business leaders have been diligently focusing and targeting student leadership skills, from developing well thought out, deeper level questions, standing and introducing themselves when asking a focus question, looking the community leader in the eye and extending the response questions. The Northport Leadership summits have been a wonderful experience for the students. Special thanks to Port Saint Lucie Mayor, Greg Oravec for giving back to his community by meeting with the students and interacting so graciously.
