Ginny's dissertation focus began seventeen years ago when she and two colleagues met around her kitchen table to discuss the challenges they faced as women leaders. They formed a 'practice lab' to apply, in both life and work, emerging principles in the fields of social construction, leadership, women's studies and organization behavior. From their experiences, they formed a non-profit, network organization in 1997 called the Center for Emerging Leadership (CEL). CEL provides an annual learning program for women leaders called the Women's Leadership Community which has involved more than a hundred women. CEL has also produced a book of women's leadership stories, formed a monthly learning circle for alumnae and sponsored a variety of workshops and conferences for women leaders.

The organization has been governed by a voluntary board of alumnae and other friends of the program who set annual objectives, oversees programs and projects, recruit help on key projects, develop shared meaning and language, and oversee the health and sustainability concerns of the network. In addition, the annual entry program is overseen by a group of six facilitators who have developed or trained in the program's design, principles and practices.

Ginny's dissertation will be an in-depth examination of this leadership network, using both case study and autobiographical ethnography methodologies, to better understand: How did they create an ongoing community of practice from this small informal learning trio? How has this largely voluntary network been able to maintain and thrive for over a decade? What has been learned regarding the governance of a network organization? And, what has been the benefit for participating women leaders?

Ginny Belden-Charles is a consultant with Waterline Consulting, St. Paul, MN. She is also an adjunct faculty for Pepperdine's Master's Program in Organization Development where she serves as a coach advisor for cohort learning groups. Ginny has worked as an organization development consultant and facilitator for more than 25 years. Her special interest is in facilitating learning groups and networks that address personal insight and mindset shift as a basis for strategic change.