Published: June 24, 2008 06:00 pm      

Carlile receives honor for ‘persuasiveness’

EDMOND — The Edmond City Council and the Character Council of Edmond recognized Jim Carlile, the director of the Edmond Boulevard Academy, as “Champion of Character” for the character trait of persuasiveness, during the Monday City Council meeting.

“The trait of persuasiveness can be defined as ‘guiding vital truths around another’s mental roadblocks,’ which enables us to understand each person so that we can affectively communicate productively; point them in the right direction; avoiding stretching the truth to make it more attractive; appeal to a person’s conscience in terms of character; to wait for the best time, and especially to avoid arguments” said Jim Hulsey, president of the Character Council of Edmond.

Boulevard Academy is Edmond’s “alternative” high school campus and serves students who for a variety of reasons have experienced little success at Edmond’s comprehensive high schools. Often, they enter the school with a defeated or defiant attitude, with limited hope of graduating.

“Jim Carlile is a very dedicated educator whose influence and persuasiveness with others is enhanced by his demonstrated personal commitment and strong work ethic,” is how Edmond’s Superintendant of Public Schools David Goin described Carlile.

Jackie Shaw, the director of Edmond Family Counseling Center, who nominated Carlile, said “ … one of the primary benefits for the students and staff of Boulevard Academy has been working under the direction of a true leader who believes in each of them. The school has benefited in its physical changes as well as in the emotional and intellectual environment.”

The dropout rate at Boulevard has decreased during Carlile’s tenure, Shaw said.

The Character Council is a grassroots, nonprofit, organization committed to creating a citywide initiative to build Edmond into a “Community of Character.” The group believes that the character of a nation only can be strengthened one person at a time, one community at a time. Toward that end the Character Council of Edmond seeks to recognize residents who demonstrate character, as witnessed by those who have been affected and influenced.

To nominate a resident as a “Champion of Character,” one who exemplifies these character traits, log on to www.edmondcharacter.org or write: Champions of Character, P.O. Box 392, Edmond OK 73083-0392.