eNews from CLI of Cape Cod & the Islands

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
Elizabeth Bridgewater

- by Rex Peterson

Problem: How to assume leadership of a vital and diverse nonprofit agency after the retirement of its founder and only executive director. That was the leadership challenge that faced Elizabeth Bridgewater, CLI class of 2005, when she was named Executive Director of the Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corporation ("the CDC") in 2007.

Gwen Pelletier founded the agency and served as its director from 1995 until her retirement in 2007. The two women have very different leadership styles and came from different backgrounds. Pelletier came with a housing background and Bridgewater's background was economic development. The agency was also evolving from one largely funded with government grants and contracts to one with an expanded mission and with more dependence on private fundraising and recognizing future development opportunities.

An early challenge for Bridgewater was figuring out how to lead an agency with a dual focus when she was not an "expert" in one of the areas. Her solution was to get directly involved in the housing programs and operations in order to educate herself and feel confident that she understood the complex and highly structured world of community housing development. Different state and federal programs each had their own set of requirements and ways of measuring compliance. This experiential learning process is part of her need to see the "big picture" and how the various pieces of a puzzle fit together. That brought about a greater understanding of her role as a leader.

Bridgewater also realized early on that as the agency grew in the property management area, it needed to be run more like a business and less like an agency set up to receive public funding. The staffing and budget of the agency needed to change and new sources of funding and revenue needed to be developed. Bridgewater created the first ever marketing director for the CDC, Christine Perry, CLI class of 2008. Competing in the private sector meant the need to show results, to maximize efficiencies and a strategic plan on how to address needs in the community. Articulating the mission and accomplishments of the agency became critical. Bridgewater noted that this cultural shift has occurred in community development agencies nation wide.

Part of the plan for branding the agency is a new name. Lower Cape Cod Community
Development Corporation had two problems: it was too long and it didn't really tell people what the agency did. The new name, Community Development Partnership, is, according to Bridgewater, intended to tell people, "who we are, what we're doing and how we do it."

Bridgewater sees her role as Executive Director primarily as one of problem solver. She is a "delegater", helping staff find their niche and giving them the tools to do their job along with supporting their professional growth. She sees her role as getting involved in projects early on and deciding who to bring to the table and building the team. Once those decisions are made, she assumes a supporting role in order to empower her staff to make decisions and have control. A more empowered staff is also a more accountable staff. The result is a higher degree of job satisfaction and the ability for Bridgewater to stand back and see that big picture and how all the pieces fit into the whole.

Lower Cape CDC Staff with Governor Patrick at the Lobby Day for the Mass Association of CDC's. Left to right: Christiane Perry (CLI 2008), Governor Deval Patrick, Lisa Panaccione, Emily Loomis, Elizabeth Bridgewater (CLI 2005)

One of Bridgewater's old bosses told her, "You'll be an executive director some day." It was most likely her ability to think and plan strategically that was an indication to others early on that she would assume a leadership role. Looking back over her first year at the helm, Bridgewater's major regret is that she could have been more decisive. "My confidence had to catch up with me," she said, and she needed to learn to trust her own judgment and move quickly to address problems and restructure the agency.

Maintaining a balance between work and her private life is another important part of Bridgewater's leadership style. Bridgewater is not a workaholic, but she is an accomplished singer and actress and has performed in numerous musicals and with the Outer Cape Chorale. This past summer, she appeared in a production of "The Wild Party" at the Provincetown Theatre. In addition to her day job, she managed five performances a week for five weeks during the height of the summer season.

To learn more about the Lower Cape CDC (soon to be Community Development Partnership) visit their website at www.lowercape.org. The agency has been a long time supporter of CLI, sending staff members every year to participate in our program.