The Illinois Park and Recreation Association’s Board of Directors met January 10 at the Oakbrook Bath and Tennis Club for their annual board retreat. The focus of the retreat was on the 2008-2009 strategic plan and the balanced scorecard approach to project management the association will begin implementing.
The day was kicked-off with an inspirational greeting from incoming Chairman of the Board, Tracey Crawford, of the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association. Her message to the Board was that of taking ownership of the strategic plan, being ambassadors for the association and inspiring people to act and get involved through positive attitudes. If you’ve never had the honor of meeting Tracey - or listening to her speak - you won’t want to miss the Friday, January 25th IPRA Business Meeting at the upcoming Soaring to New Heights Conference. Her infectious positive attitude and dedication to the association will make her a wonderful Chairman this year.
IPRA’s Dean Comber then gave a great presentation on the balanced scorecard. This new approach to project management will really focus on accountability and delivering value to the membership. The approach is anchored by four main “corners” - financial, member, internal processes, and learning and growth - that are measurable using a new online program. In theory, the balanced scorecard is similar to project management but goes much further into identifying, monitoring and changing objectives or goals of the strategic plan based on performance. When all is said and done, the balanced scorecard is a more methodical and proven approach to conduct business operations while increasing member value. The Board and staff is excited about the balanced scorecard approach and implementation will begin this February. The presentation can be viewed below.
Concluding the retreat, IPRA’s Chief Executive Officer, Bill Wald, presented the 2008-2009 strategic plan to the Board. After review of Board minutes, listening to member feedback, conducting a SWOT analysis and having honest discussions about the direction of the association the staff laid out goals and developed outcomes for the future. Three main goals highlight the plan with outcomes to help develop the actions taken by the Board of Directors, staff and section/committee volunteers.
Goal 1: Membership Value
Define, develop and market the value of the association to member agencies, the individual members and the general public to provide an understanding of the sustaining and future benefits of membership - and parks and recreation.Goal 2: Governance & Board Policies
Develop and implement the Board Governing Restructuring Process as approved by the Board of Directors and further review and implement policies and procedures that will continue to enhance the operation of the association.Goal 3: Finance & Section Administration
Develop a clear and systematic approach to delivering financial information to the staff, the sections and the Board in a time appropriate manner as to further maintain the financial stability of the association.
At the end of the day the Board of Directors accepted the strategic plan and had very high marks to say about the direction and state of the association. An interactive webinar is being planned for Bill Wald to further explain and detail the plan to the entire membership. The presentation can be viewed below.
We look froward to another great year. With the continued support and leadership of the Board of Directors, we aim to inspire everyone to get involved and make the most of your IPRA membership.