April 2021 Focus on the Future

By Craig Meadows

Spring time in Virginia … is there a prettier place to be this time of year than in our wonderful state?  The sky is bright blue, flowers are beginning to bloom, the trees are budding, and, if you are like me, your eyes and nose begin to itch, and your car takes on a yellowish hue from the pollen!  Allergies aside, spring is a great time of year to begin to think about renewal, and how we can foster growth in our organizations and relationships.

For the past several months, I have shared with you the six strategic areas of VLGMA’s Strategic Plan, and discussed why those six areas are critical to our growth as a professional organization serving our membership.  Just as a reminder, those six strategic areas are –

1)     Communications and Networking;

2)     Next Generation of the Profession;

3)     Civic Engagement;

4)     Membership Growth and Support;

5)     Professional Development; and

6)     Leadership and Ethics

Within these six areas, there are numerous opportunities for you to become more involved with the direction of your organization.   Serving on the Communications and Networking Committee would allow you to become more involved in how we share our message with our fellow members, and also provide information to new members of the profession.  If you were to serve on the Professional Development Committee, you can assist the organization with developing programs for the next generation of the profession, support membership growth and support, and develop conferences and programs for future events.  If you serve as a member of the Civic Engagement Committee, you can help develop programs and resources to facilitate and enhance productive citizen participation in the civic process of our local governments.

The intent of these articles has been to share with you the particulars of VLGMA’s strategic plan, but more importantly, it has been to encourage you to consider becoming more involved with VLGMA.  The success of our organization depends on the support of its members – each one of you!  Please let me or any member of the VLGMA leadership team know if you’d like more information on how you can be of service in the upcoming year.

Thank you for your support, and the leadership you provide in your communities.  I hope that we get to see each other in person in a few weeks at Virginia Beach – until then, enjoy the spring weather, and best of luck with your upcoming budgets!

All the best,
Craig