Board Planning Process Continues

I wanted to give everyone an update on the planning session with the Board on Wednesday, April 16. I would first offer the appreciation of the Trustees for the input provided by many of you to the survey earlier in March. Your unique perspective about how to strengthen the organization gave context and specifics that helped enrich the conversation.

The discussion Wednesday was a dynamic and focused on charting the next steps in evolving this century old organization. With the support of key staff, new vision and mission statements are being drafted for review at the June 18 Board meeting. Additionally, the goals and objectives for the next seven years are being determined--using the input you, the branches and key partners have provided. Prioritizing the opportunites will be key to our success. As we have all long known, we cannot be all things to all people. That being said, APVA Preservation Virginia is a multifaceted organization with a wide range of stewardship responsiblities. Articulating a vision, prioritizing the goals and creating acheivable strategies will ensure that APVA is around for another century of presevation leadership.

As I shared with you last Monday, the final and key element will be to craft the strategies, timeline and responsibility for implementation that will move APVA Preservation Virginia to the next level of leadership. Each of you will have a role in developing and acheiving those strategies. In advance of the June Board meeting, we will be looking for some additional input. After the June meeting, we will have the goals and objectives in draft form for distribution and discussion within departmetns of strategies and timelines. Board Committeess will also be developing input. The final strategic plan will be adopted by the Trustees at the September 17 meeting so that it may guide budget planning for 2009.

These are exciting times for the organization. There will be hard work, difficult decisions, but in the end having this plan and acheiving its goals will help us all to articualate the possibilities for APVA Preservation Virginia's success in the future.