COMMUNITY HOUSING & RESOURCES Savannah Miller-Berg

(Editor’s note: Community Housing & Resources Deputy Executive Director Savannah Miller-Berg is taking part in SWFL Inc.’s Leadership SWFL. This is the first in a series of articles where she will share what she learns about the island community and how emerging leaders can make a difference.)

Getting to know your teammates usually doesn’t involve lining up while balancing on a 3-foot beam and not saying a single word.

Yet that was the first task of the Leadership SWFL Class of 2024. I was in a group of six professionals and we were told to line up in order of birth month, while balancing on a 3-foot beam and only using non-verbal communication. This truly was a test; our group had met each other less than 24 hours before and were now very close and personal and tasked with using body and facial expressions to communicate.

After completing this assignment, I realized the importance of non-verbal communication and was able to apply it to real life. For example, during COVID it was easy to forget about these key communication tools while we were bogged down with emails, phone calls and virtual meetings. It can be challenging to truly know the tone of an email or what a person is thinking during a phone call, which can easily lead to misinterpretation.

This was a great lesson because it made me aware of how common misinterpretation is and the importance of looking at scenarios with more than one perspective.

It’s a lesson I’ve been learning my whole life. While attending high school in Eugene, Oregon, I volunteered at a daycare for low-income families. It was rewarding to be part of a place where parents felt safe to leave their children while they had a job interview, grocery shopped or — heartbreakingly — tried to find a place to sleep that night.

In May of 2023, I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Bachelor of Science in public health. Growing up in a city with the highest homeless population per capita in the country and then moving to the sunny coast of Southwest Florida was a major change. While the homeless and low-income population in Southwest Florida is smaller than Eugene’s, the rising cost of living is becoming quite a challenge for the low- and middle-class population here.

In March, I was accepted into SWFL Inc.’s Leadership SWFL program. The course is intended to expand our knowledge of the Southwest Florida region by familiarizing us with its current challenges and providing insight to the economic, demographic and societal resources in Southwest Florida. The eight-month program consists of hands-on opportunities that allow professionals to immerse themselves in the needs, while exploring diverse perspectives.

What excites me about this opportunity? I am excited to develop and strengthen my professional network outside of the barrier islands. I am eager to learn more about the Southwest Florida region and develop tools to become a successful leader and hopeful to establish life-long connections. In addition, I will introduce my classmates to the Sanibel and Captiva communities and, of course, the need for more affordable housing.

Finally, I am excited to continue learning and growing into a future leader. I believe that this Leadership SWFL class will be the perfect stepping stone. Through that experience, along with learning and growing with Community Housing & Resources, I’m eager to create a positive impact in the community I live in, work in and serve.