Our Board of Directors and Alumnae Council met in person (with some joining us via zoom) for our annual retreat last week and reintegrated as a team. I was unaware how much my soul needed to be together with these committed GMLC alumnae as my leadership term comes to a close in December.
Join me in thinking about the comfort of ritual as we see signs of fall pop up everywhere (with pumpkins on every corner and leaves turning all shades of the season) and you will know how full my heart was as I drove back home to Kirksville. It’s comforting to know there are rituals we can count on. And as we ease back into our new normal post COVID, I am confident in the Greater Missouri rituals that will be back in 2022 thanks to the visionary work of our board!
We completed a board internal assessment and a board operational assessment to gauge how we are doing as individuals and as a governing body to advance the mission of Greater Missouri. We all agreed it was time to reflect and assess to ensure we maintain an active working board. It was time for some accountability of each other to evaluate our commitment to recruiting a consistent pipeline of challenge members; to fundraising to allow our organization to thrive as we meet the obstacles of meeting in person again; to continually networking and sharing the experiences of being a Greater MO alumna by being a proud ambassador of the foundation. How much direction have we provided to the regional planning teams and coordinators as all plan and execute our work more effectively? Who are women that deserve recognition at our annual Woman of the Year event? Should we invite all to participate in person for an alumnae reunion and if so, what would the agenda include? Are we each actively engaged in our committee meetings between our full board meetings? Are we serving on the right committee, or should we maybe refresh to offer new knowledge of trends and important developments related to the work of the existing committees. The current committees include Experience, Communication, Finance, and Board Management and Sustainability.
During our revamp discussion we strategized about something to stop; to change dramatically; to put on hiatus; invest more staff or consultant time; and any new activity to explore. There were many creative ideas that will take resources and renewed commitment to execute well. We kept on track as we build the future now in front of us without regurgitating dismissed discussions of the past. Our scenario planning last year helped us to explore vastly different futures that could emerge. We took that to heart and made the prudent decision to have a different class size and an offer for the Class of 2020 to repeat in 2021. We asked what should we consider for 2022? What about in the next 3-5 years?
We renewed our commitments to help women retool, refresh, or rethink their career paths as they identify their value, hone skills, and make a plan to achieve their highest intentions. Over the past couple of years our work to educate and inspire women leaders to make a difference has become more important than ever. We can and will add to the experience beyond the dozen days of the in-person session experiences. And we agreed we would welcome the new cohort with a full class in 2022 who will be meeting in person for all sessions to ensure they get the full immersive educational experience we have produced since 1989.
Join us as we move forward in complex-ever changing environments. We need your help in any number of ways in 2022. Raise your hand by completing this form to tell us how you want to engage with our work. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Greater Missouri.