Interview with Learning Organization Leader Mark Foxall, Ph.D., CJM
Learning Organization Leader Dr. Mark Foxall emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and continuous evolution. Inspired by his father Pitmon Foxall II and mother Dr. Martha Foxall, he has a distinguished background in law enforcement, academia, and corrections, with a focus on educational leadership. Dr. Foxall's experience and commitment to excellence have led him to achieve significant accomplishments in various roles, including his current position at the Douglas County Department of Corrections.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Interview with Learning Organization Leader Mark Foxall, Ph.D., CJM by Corporal Tanya Burnside MSM620 Learning Management & Mastery
Learning Organization Leader Mark Foxall, Ph.D., CJM Dr. Foxall is my Learning Organization Leader He emphasizes that learning/education should be instrumental in everything you pursue Whom or what inspired Dr. Foxall to be a good leader? Pitmon Foxall II My Dad My mentor, my role model Omaha Police Department (OPD)'s first black patrol sergeant OPD s first black lieutenant in charge of the homicide unit OPD s first black public-safety director Acknowledged experience as a part of learning but emphasized that you should continue to evolve and never rest on your laurels - Pitmon Foxall Dr. Martha Foxall, Retired Emeritus, UNMC Learning is a lifelong process whether that be experience based or academic based... and that comes not just from my Dad, but my mom as well - Dr. Foxall Pitmon Foxall III, responsible for managing the Department of Homeland Security s CFATS Program for ConAgra Foods, Inc. Retired as Deputy Chief in 2008
Learning Organization Leader Mark Foxall, Ph.D., CJM Experience Director Adjunct Instructor - School of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Nebraska at Omaha Sergeant Omaha Police Department Special Agent Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Project Impact with the United States Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska Education University of Nebraska at Omaha Ph.D., Criminal Justice, 2005 - Dissertation titled " Latino Homicides: The Influence of Residential Segregation", 2005. University of Nebraska at Omaha MPA, Public Administration, 1996 1998 Activities and Societies: Pi Alpha Alpha University of Nebraska at Omaha B.S., Criminal Justice, 1978 1986 Douglas County Department of Corrections
Douglas County Department of Corrections Welcome to Douglas County Department of Corrections First Nationally Accredited Jail in Nebraska American Correctional Association - (ACA) - Accreditation History Community Corrections - since January 2010 Main Jail - since August 2008 National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) - Accreditation History Medical Department since March 2005
Douglas County Department of Corrections Welcome to Douglas County Department of Corrections 1,453 Bed capacity In the month of March there were 1,666 admissions and 1171 releases 400+ staff members In his report for March 2013, Dr. Foxall continues to operate under budget which is rare in corrections. Access the following link to view one of Dr. Foxall s latest reports to Douglas County Board of Commissioners- start at 04:10 http://www.douglascounty-ne.gov/board-meetings/videos#
Douglas County Department of Corrections Vision We are a dynamic department committed to safe and responsible detention. Values Competence We will promote effective hiring practices and comprehensive training programs to provide staff the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their duties and responsibilities. Diversity We will recognize and appreciate our differences Respect We hold in high regard the values and rights of staff, offenders and the public Professionalism We are confident, knowledgeable, informed, unbiased, dedicated and courteous Integrity We ensure that all policies adhere to the personal values we represent: honesty, trust, respect, compassion and loyalty Pro-Active We are dedicated to the research of new ideas and the identification of issues, while being responsive to the needs of inmates, staff and the community Progressive We are open-minded, exploring all options that are imaginative and innovative http://www.dccorr.com/corrections/about-us
Building the Learning Organization Peter M. Senge, learning organization expert and author of The Fifth Discipline (2006), wrote about an MIT sponsored conference in the early 90 s entitled Transforming Organizations . During the conference, two questions were key: How can we build organizations in which continuous learning occurs and what kind of person can best lead the learning organization? Do you believe those questions are relevant in the corrections industry today? Yes encourage foster create an environment where learning occurs If you don t allow staff to take advantage of the educational opportunities out there, you miss your end goal which is continuing to have people flourish through various levels of education It s up to leadership to create that learning environment. That has to come from the top Blended learning - in-house classes , online learning including e-learning Encourage participation in professional organizations American Corrections Association - Certified Jail Officer, Certified Jail Manager Stay relevant picking up additional education along the way, case law, legislation, best practice, staying current Dr. Foxall
Building the Learning Organization What type of people best lead your learning organization? A person with principles every leader should have these principles Strength of character Strength of faith Giving back to the community Pursuit of academic excellence Dr. Foxall
Building the Learning Organization One of the difficulties in building a learning organization is getting key people to buy into your vision. Robert Fritz , management consultant and author of The Path of Least Resistance introduced the principle of Creative Tension which comes from seeing clearly where we want to be, our vision, and telling the truth about where we are, our current reality. [The gap between the two generates natural tension ]. (Senge, 2003 et.al Fritz 1989). How do you as a leader resolve Creative Tension ? Douglas McGregor s Theory Y school of participative management style Foster an environment where individuals opinions are valued Seek input from internal stakeholders Keep lines of communication open Value what other people bring to the table including all levels Walk around (engage with individuals) Dr. Foxall
Learning Organization Dimensions I ll give you the following dimensions of an organization; tell me which characteristic best suits DCC: Critical tasks Relationships Levels Structures Boundaries Competitive thrust Management style Culture People Strategic focus physical or mental - BOTH hierarchal or peer-to-peer - BOTH many or fewer functional or multidisciplinary teams fixed or permeable vertical integrationor outsourcing and alliances autocratic or participative compliance or commitment and results - BOTH homogenous ordiverse Efficiency orinnovation
The True Learning Organization Dr. Michael Marquardt, best-selling author and Professor at George Washington University concludes that the true learning organization incorporates five subsystems: learning, organization, people, knowledge, and technology. How has our organization demonstrated the mastery of each subsystem? We ve covered learning, organization, people and knowledge, let s talk about technology Tanya Burnside. Currently: Essential learning, policy tech, jail management software program. Future: Kiosks to pay bonds, fines, and costs. Web based programs that allow people to pay from home, visitation by remote. Reduces the introduction of contraband into the facility, promoting a safer environment and better serving the community Dr. Foxall.
The Future for DCDC Talk to me about specific goals and objectives for learning moving forward? More work to be done as far as education Continued work with Metropolitan Community College More staff working on credentials for promotions More challenging testing Increased level of participation - Dr. Foxall What barriers do you anticipate hindering learning in our organization, and what strategy will be used to eliminate those barriers? Apathy, I m happy with what I have, always have to fight apathy . This is a career field not just this type of job Would you agree that your strategy includes changing mental models? - Tanya Burnside Right! Changing the culture of an organization is tuff. You can t just sit back and say that s the way it is maintain the status que you can t cram it down people throats We rise to the challenge selection process, promoting people that believe in the philosophy, buy in from top-down and bottom-up is important sharing a similar vision Dr. Foxall
Learning Organization Leader Mark Foxall, Ph.D., CJM
