January 2021 Focus on the Future
Focus on the Future – A Look at VLGMA’s Strategic Plan
By Craig Meadows, VLGMA President-Elect
Happy New Year! I hope you were able to find time to rest and recharge over the holidays, and that you are ready to begin the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and focus.
As we enter into 2021, I want to continue to review with you the VLGMA Strategic Plan. Why is it important that we do this? With all the challenges last year brought us (and the likelihood that 2021 will be full of challenges as well), it is critical that we “keep our focus” on the purpose and direction for our organization in 2021 … and beyond.
Of the six strategic focus areas in the Strategic Plan, I have reviewed three of those with you previously (Communications & Networking, Next Generation of the Profession, and Civic Engagement). This month, I’d like to focus on the fourth area – Membership Growth and Support. This area is critical to our success as an organization; without growth in our membership, and support for those who belong to VLGMA, we cannot fulfill any of our other responsibilities and duties.
Our strategic goal for this focus area states that VLGMA will “Encourage all eligible Virginia local government professionals to become members of VLGMA, provide targeted support for all members, and ensure an environment exists for managers to interact with one another on a regional and statewide basis through existing personal and professional group affiliations.” This strategic goal is so important, the VLGMA Strategic Plan contains twelve action steps to ensure that we are addressing this objective!
Rather than spell out each of the twelve steps, I want to instead focus on several of the key action words included in these steps –
Review – are we continually evaluating ways to encourage and support membership?
Invite – do we seek out new local government managers and encourage them to join VLGMA, and share with them the benefits of the organization?
Welcome – do we do enough to welcome new managers into the profession, and share with them what VLGMA has done for us?
Contact – do we stay in touch with current and former members to keep them engaged?
Support – do we remind our members to utilize our senior advisors and support coordinators, who are in place to provide support and encouragement in times of challenge?
Award – do we encourage and recognize excellence in our profession, and ensure that others see leadership in action within our organization?
While the primary responsibility for ensuring that this strategic goal is achieved rests with the VLGMA 2nd and 3rd vice-presidents and with the Member Support Committee, I would contend that we all have a significant stake in seeing that our organization is successful in addressing this goal! If you are a VLGMA member, have you reached out to others in your locality or in neighboring communities to encourage them to consider joining our organization? When you attend a conference or training event (and I am hopeful that we will return to in-person events some time during this year!), do you make a point to interact with others who you may not know, and to share the value that VLGMA provides to you?
As the past year has proven, the support, encouragement, and collaboration with our peers has never been more important to our profession, and to the vitality of our communities. I hope that you will personally consider inviting someone to join VLGMA in 2021, and that you will consider serving in a more active role in your professional organization in this new year.
Thank you for all you do in support of your communities, and in support of our profession –
All the best,
Craig