By Lynn Markland
Many of us have been involved in preparing a strategic plan for our community. Our organization has a strategic plan as well. Our last strategic plan was prepared in 2007 and updated in 2013. The plan is now several years old and, instead of an update, the MME Board has decided to prepare a new strategic plan. Earlier this year, I asked several members of the Board to meet and prepare an RFP for an independent facilitator to lead us through the process. In September, the Board decided to contract with The Nonprofit Spot to facilitate the strategic planning. The plan will be completed in several phases.
A strategic plan is important to help guide our association and make sure that our members are receiving the services and value that they expect. The plan will also provide us with a road map for where we want to go as an organization. The MME Board wants to make sure that you are getting the most out of your membership and that we as an organization are going in the right direction together.
The Nonprofit Spot was selected because of their track record of facilitating plans with other nonprofit organizations. The Board also wanted to make sure that membership engagement is a major part of the strategic planning process. The project will begin with a survey that you will receive through the listserv. The Winter Institute will include a general session on the strategic plan and then some smaller focus groups, conducted by The Nonprofit Spot, on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday throughout the day. We expect the planning process to take 7-8 months and the plan should be completed by the 2020 Summer Workshop.
I’m excited about planning for the future of the Michigan Municipal Executives.
Lynn Markland
President, Michigan Municipal Executives; City Manager, Fenton
Lynn Markland has served as the city manager for Fenton since 2008. Previously, he held positions as city manager in Durand and Sandusky. You may reach him at 810.629.2261 or lmarkland@cityoffenton.org