When Eric Ireland was elected president of the nonprofit Central Ohio Radio Reading Service last year, he felt honored. Then he gulped.

"I thought, 'What do I do now?''' Ireland said.

"When most folks become president of a nonprofit board, they've had no training and don't know what they're doing.''

That's why Ireland was grateful for the President's Institute, a program to help train and develop leadership skills in central Ohio board presidents.

Ireland said the program's two-day retreat and follow-up meetings gave him the tools to run board meetings and help guide the service, which provides audio versions of newspapers and other material for those with vision problems.

The President's Institute is one of the most-comprehensive programs of its type, said Executive Director Donn Vickers.

There are other programs that provide training for nonprofit board presidents, but most tend to be large workshops or offer limited coaching, said Richard L. Moyers, executive director of the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

By comparison, the institute offers an in-depth, yearlong program for a maximum of 12 participants each year, Vickers said.

"I know of nothing that is as structured and intensive and thoughtfully put together,'' said Moyers, whose state membership association includes 500 nonprofit groups.

The President's Institute is a program run by the Academy for Leadership & Governance in Columbus, which formed in 2000 as a division of the Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts to assist the leaders of area nonprofit groups.

The academy conducts research projects, prepares publications and offers educational programs.

The President's Institute grew out of the academy publication, President's Book, a guide written by experienced presidents of nonprofit boards for other presidents or presidents-elect, Vickers said.

"It seemed to us an obvious next step to work directly with newly elected board presidents to help them get a sense what it is they ought to be focusing on in this crucial role they have,'' said Vickers, who was the founding director of Thurber House for 20 years.

During the program's two-day retreat, participants cover a range of subjects including how to run a meeting, recruit board members and establish a good relationship with a group's board.

The program also focuses on developing a board president's leadership style, Vickers said. He and the Institute's other faculty, consisting of public- and private-sector leaders, offer instruction.

Besides the retreat, there are quarterly meetings and the opportunity for participants to consult with each other and faculty for advice as needed.

That practical help makes all the difference in the confidence of new board presidents, said Michelle Geissbuhler, who participated in the program's first class before taking over in June as president of the Worthington Arts Council.

"I had taken the course with the hope of learning a few things to keep me from doing a bad job, and I came away feeling I could do good job,'' she said.

"The change in attitude was very inspiring.''

The cost for the program ranges from $290 to $490, depending on the size of a nonprofit's organizational budget. It is sponsored by the Nationwide Foundation.

mniquette@dispatch.com