November 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 6

PERSPECTIVES

A MESSAGE FROM NRPA'S LE ADERS

Focus On the Front Windshield

I 

N DISCUSSING THE NEXT NRPA STRATEGIC PLAN with our CEO, Barbara Tulipane, she made
the memorable statement: " When researching NRPA prior to being hired, I really got our strategic
plan when someone said the purpose of the organization should be to ensure that there is a quality park within walking distance for all people. " Wow, what a powerful statement, and one that should
become the mantra for NRPA.
There may be no better way for NRPA to demonstrate our usefulness than our role in promoting this goal for every community.
During the most recent NRPA Congress in
Anaheim, the Board of Directors participated in
a retreat to begin the process of formulating the
2014-2016 Strategic Plan, and, unlike previous
strategic planning initiatives, it became evident
that your Board wanted to embrace a fresh perspective and process for determining what NRPA
should focus on in the next three-year cycle.
While the next plan will continue to evolve until
early next March, one thing appears to be certain.
Your Board is determined to establish a working
plan that will be relevant, and that can be understood by the entire membership. In fact, an attempt will be made to create a " strategic map " in
a single-page graph that will visually capture the
basis of the next plan.
It will also be a working plan that the Board and
staff can allocate both time and resources to, and
will constantly be reviewed, discussed, and assessed for its effectiveness.
During the retreat, many of the traditional
strategic planning activities were transformed

S T E V E T H O M P SO N , CPR P
Chair of the Board of Directors

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Parks & Recreation

| NOVEMBER 2012 | WWW.NRPA.ORG

or thrown out altogether. Strategy is now back
in the spotlight, and the strategic plan will take
its rightful place as the marching orders of the
organization.
In the very near future, the NRPA Networks will
be asked to participate in the development of the
next strategic plan by soliciting their members
for feedback on what they perceive as the major
issues facing our association and our profession.
This invaluable feedback will be reviewed by
the Strategic Planning Task Force (which, by the
way, has the ﬁrst non-NRPA Board member serving on it, Shane Mize from the Young Professional
Network), and then a review and continued discussion will take place.
I am optimistic that the 2014-2016 NRPA Strategic Plan will be a concise and accurate working
resource and tool to help guide your national association during the next several years.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Colin
Powell: " Always focus on the front windshield and
not the rearview mirror. " This sums up well the
intent of the next NRPA Strategic Plan...we will
continue to look ahead to remain a vibrant and
relevant membership-driven association!
November 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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