Leadership from Volunteerism to the Statehouse

She vividly recalls leadership lessons she learned from Professor Caroline Wagner and the importance of nonprofit management in a class with instructor Dani Robbins.

“I learned so much from these two faculty members that I reached out to them on the campaign trail to tell them I wouldn’t be here if not for them,” said Cockley, who in January was sworn in as state representative for District 6, which encompasses much of the west side of Columbus. She has been assigned to the House Agriculture, Insurance, and Technology and Innovation Committees. 

From Wagner’s Leadership in Public and Nonprofit Sectors class, Cockley still boosts her confidence using what she learned about the value of using the physical body to embrace power.

“I would have students stand up and assume a ‘victory’ stance — arms up in a wide ‘V.’ Then, I had them stand with feet at shoulder width, hands on hips and shoulders back, chin up, to assume a ‘power stance,’” said Wagner. “We learned this from the video by (social psychologist) Amy Cuddy about how the body influences our perception of our personal power. I loved teaching the leadership class. Christine Cockley was a stand-out even then! She clearly wanted to learn about becoming a leader.”

Cockley, who participated in the Washington Internship Academic Program (WAIP) while earning her bachelor’s degree and later received her Master of Public Administration, Washington, D.C., said she has been service driven her entire life.

“I grew up in a house where volunteering was something you did to help your community. I didn’t realize it was a whole career path,” she said. Her family volunteered with local organizations and canvassed for candidates they believed in.

“My mom became the first female judge in Richland County and beat the Republican incumbent, who was her boss. Her career as a lawyer was not as fulfilling as she thought it would be, and by becoming a judge she could become more involved with the judicial system in a bigger way,” she said, adding that her grandmother was, coincidentally, board chair of the YWCA in Mansfield.

That passion led her to run for public office.

“The biggest thing is I see how desperately we need somebody in the Statehouse who has an empathetic leadership style, somebody who has the lived experiences that are unique to those of my neighbors,” Cockley said. “I care about the issues that matter most to my community and people within District 6 and Ohio: ensuring people can afford the house they live in and have a livable wage; access to quality healthcare; building lasting infrastructure; and making sure we’re investing in our communities.”

Her goals for her Ohio House term include working on the state budget to bring infrastructure resources to her community; stressing accessibility to her office and making sure she has strong constituent services; and maintaining a healthy work environment.

“I want a work environment where staff feel appreciated and they want to continue doing the work they’re doing, and where we’re making sure they have the support they need for both personal and career growth,” Cockley said.

Her Glenn College lessons and connections have continued through her political career.

Her legislative aide, Sol Moreira Chavez graduated from Ohio State with a degree in political science and a Glenn College minor in public policy and was a WAIP participant. And Cockley expects to regularly interact with Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, who participated in the Glenn College Public Leadership Academy for Elected Officials.

“She is a great leader, with a lot of the same community-driven, public service-oriented values that the Glenn College teaches us. She’s someone, too, that when in doubt I know I could call her and she would be supportive and helpful and guide me in the right direction,” Cockley said of Russo.

“One thing I learned at the Glenn College and took to the campaign trail and still implement every day is the overarching theme that you need to meet people where they’re at: listening to people at Statehouse advocacy days and listening to them in the community within the district at events; listening to colleagues and trying to get bipartisan wins; and understanding that Ohioans want similar things,” Cockley said. “They want to be able to live in a safe neighborhood, afford the house they live in and want their kids to go to a great school.”

Cockley often met other leaders from Ohio, Ohio State and the Glenn College when she was in Washington, D.C., for her studies.

“I remember seeing a Brutus in a window while I was walking down a street in D.C. and pointing it out to someone on the street, and they said, ‘That’s my office!’” she said. “Ohioans are everywhere. We want to be involved in civic engagement and part of the democratic process. We want to be involved; we want to understand; and we want to make Ohio a better place for everyone. Glenn College alumni in particular are always looking for way to pay it forward.”

Read the latest edition of Public Address, the Glenn College magazine.