Graduates of an extensive 13-week training course for local nonprofit managers and directors had nothing but praise Tuesday for Human Services officials, who were able to cover the cost of the program with federal funds and offer it to the community for free.

At ceremonies held at Human Services newest Head Start compound on St. Thomas, course participants got a chance to really talk about what they learned from the program, which was paid for by a portion of a $250,000 grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and focused, according to Human Services Commissioner Chris Finch, on really instilling in the managers the myriad skills they need to operate successfully.

Along with bringing down a variety of speakers to talk about their experiences, sessions were also planned around a series of case studies that gave participants some real-life examples to work off of.

The study discussed during the final session Tuesday, for example, taught participants about the need to make what Finch said were "tough, bold" decisions on the job, and how to face the consequences of those decisions.

"The executive director of a nonprofit has to be well-versed in so many areas," Finch explained later. "They’re the chief fundraiser, they’re interacting daily with so many different clients, and they need to know all the management aspects of running a successful business. We wanted to give people the opportunity to get those skills—especially those who maybe don’t have the time or money to enroll in a graduate program."

A variety of local business owners also enrolled in the program, along with individuals who said Tuesday that they were serving as board members for various organizations and wanted to learn how to do their jobs properly.

"It’s surprising how many things you think you know until you take a class like this," said Sara Connell, who sits on the board of the Long Path/Garden Street Organization. "But now I can go back to the group and really do the things that I’m supposed to do."

Echoing that sentiment, Bishop Ambrose Gumbs said he had signed up for similar Human Services workshops in the past, but really pushed himself to finish the course after he "ended up by default" on a local school board "without a clue about what to do."

"This has been so valuable to me," he said Tuesday. "I’ve learned about who should serve on the board, and what we should be looking for in our members, and I’m looking forward to taking that back with me."

A few participants said the program either saved their lives, or saved their sanity.

Matilda Wilson of Haiti Community Support said that she had already bought a ticket to return to Haiti when she saw the course advertised in the local paper and changed her flight to attend the first workshop.

"It was on the same day that the earthquake hit Haiti," she said. "So I want to say thank-you to Human Services for saving my life."

Meanwhile, Jennifer Chancellor of Lutheran Social Services on St. Croix said Tuesday that she had just started on at the organization when she enrolled in the course.

"I was just six months into the new job and working with the new staff was like working with the Bloods and the Crips [notorious street gangs]," she said. "But I implemented a lot of what I learned here on the job, and it is just wonderful now. So, you may have saved her [Wilson’s] life, but you saved my sanity."

The participants from both districts picked up their certificates of completion, participation and perfect attendance awards during Tuesday’s ceremonies.

Representatives from approximately 77 different nonprofits enrolled in the program, which started in September with weekly classes held in both districts.