Outcomes of the AAFCS Leadership Academy To Enhance Professional Leadership Qualifications

Leadership planning is essential to an organization's survival. This study evaluates the success of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Leadership Academy measured by participant benefits, the influence on participants' personal and professional satisfaction, and changes in leadership roles within AAFCS before and after participation. A 33-item web-based questionnaire was sent to AAFCS Leadership Academy participants in cohorts from 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019. Results showed that the respondents found the AAFCS Leadership Academy beneficial in developing personal and professional leadership skills that enabled them to serve in a leadership role related to employment (73%) and in enhancing their career path or goals (73%). The findings further revealed that respondents reported increased levels of personal (73%) and job (50%) satisfaction as well as increased capability in personal empowerment, networking, and service within AAFCS. The recognized need for a continuing stream of competent leaders to drive and support the future of AAFCS inspired the creation of the AAFCS Leadership Academy. Although planning efforts to engage new professionals in leadership development began earlier, the first AAFCS Leadership Academy launched in 2013 as a pre-conference event for the AAFCS Annual Conference. Since then, the AAFCS Leadership Academy has been offered bi-annually in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021.