Since its founding in 1976, 51³Ô¹Ï has never been stronger. Due to a steady annual increase in membership, we now boast over 2,400 members across all specialties, and across the United States and many continents. We have established an operating budget of $3 million and employ nine full-time and two part-time staff. As we anticipate continued growth over the next five years, while maintaining the same standards that have guided the association to our current leadership position, we anticipate myriad opportunities and challenges ahead in our ever-evolving field.
Healthy organizations regularly assess their strengths and weaknesses, and 51³Ô¹Ï is no exception. As such, we’re excited to be conducting a strategic planning process to identify the evolving needs of our members and how 51³Ô¹Ï can continue to be the standard-bearer for professionalism and ethics in our industry.
51³Ô¹Ï has developed strategic plans every five years for the past 15 years, with the last plan primarily focused on governance and administrative structure. The changing experiences and demographics of our members, and dramatic shifts in the educational landscape, lead us to believe that now is a particularly important time to develop a forward-thinking plan. Assessing how 51³Ô¹Ï can best meet the increasingly complex and diverse needs of its membership will, in turn, enable 51³Ô¹Ï members to meet the increasingly complex and diverse needs of their clients in years to come. This strategic plan will focus on membership, services, and satisfaction. Some specific areas we’ll be exploring include:
- Education, training, and opportunities for collegiality, so 51³Ô¹Ï can further optimize success in these efforts.
- Membership growth and diversification, to attract the most capable and ethical independent educational consultants to our organization while maintaining our high standards.
- How 51³Ô¹Ï’s brand and reputation could be better known amongst the public, our potential clients, and within the broader educational community.
Kristina Dooley, 51³Ô¹Ï president, asked us to lead this planning effort, which we are honored to do. We’ve gathered a steering group of members representing an array of consulting specialties, backgrounds, and geographic locations. We’re grateful for their willingness to contribute time and energy to this project. Members of our working group and their specialties and locations are:
- Christine Chapman (Schools, College, MA)
- Bar Clark (Schools, Therapeutic, ME)
- Kristina Dooley (ex officio) (Schools, College, International, OH)
- Ibrahim Firat (College, TX)
- Laura Gatzionis (College, Graduate, International, LD, Greece)
- Amy Jasper (College, VA)
- Allison Matlack (vice chair) (Schools, College, MA)
- Arun Ponnusamy (College, CA)
- Jane Shropshire (chair) (Schools, College, LD, International, KY)
- Mark Sklarow, CEO
McKinley Advisors, a consultancy with expertise in evaluating association members’ needs, was selected to guide this strategic planning effort. The McKinley team is conducting a thorough review that will lead to development of strategic priorities for the association to pursue over the next three to five years.
In May, our steering group tackled its first significant tasks: reviewing and providing input for the interview guide provided by McKinley. We also developed a slate of names for interview candidates, creating a diverse group by specialty, geography, demographics, length of membership, leadership positions, and volunteer experience. McKinley has completed interviews of 35 members and five staff and we’re grateful to our colleagues who have agreed to participate so willingly. Interview themes and highlights will be discussed with the steering group in July and will inform the development of a fall survey that will go to the entire 51³Ô¹Ï membership as well as nonmembers/stakeholders affiliated with 51³Ô¹Ï.
Survey results will be distilled and shared with our steering group and the board, and the entire strategic planning effort should lead to a set of practical, actionable recommendations that can be used to meet the changing needs of our membership and the shifting landscape of the profession.
Our steering group will continue to provide input to McKinley at appropriate intervals and keep the board apprised of progress. We anticipate concluding the project in spring of 2022, at which point the board will finalize and adopt a new strategic plan to guide the association’s next five years. While a daunting task, it’s one that is vital for the continuing success of 51³Ô¹Ï and its members.
In closing, we have a call to action: when the survey arrives in your inbox this fall, please take time to complete it! We deeply value members’ support, and participation and the new strategic plan, not to mention 51³Ô¹Ï, will be all the richer because of your input.
By Jane Shropshire, CEP (KY) and Allison Matlack, MAT (MA)