Strategic Plan Review

Report on the 2017 Board of Directors Strategic Planning Work Session

GM’s SUMMARY

This report is a compilation of the strategic planning concepts and program priorities presented and discussed with the EAA Board of Directors during its annual strategic planning work session held Sept. 22-23, 2017.

GENERAL MANAGER’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE STATE OF THE EAA As presented at the work session, assessing the state of the EAA requires contemplation of: our past history; the connection of that history to where we are at present for context; and then visualizing where we want to be in the future. When taking this approach, it becomes clear that ours is a journey from a past fraught with contention, complexity, and uncertainty toward a future of increasing clarity, consensus, and assurance that should breed a higher level of certainty. There are guideposts along this journey that signal progress – litigation and legislation landmarks as well as programmatic initiatives and outcomes – that help to further refine and define our roadmap for the future, if we take these experiences and use them as lessons learned, and then commit to an agreed path forward. Certainty as Our Goal: A commitment to pursuing greater certainty, from a broad view then, should be the overarching objective of our planning process. As we move forward, this focus will be aided by an intentional effort to build on the past success of the EAA mission for the continued benefit of the resource it protects and the people it affects, toward the ultimate goal of perpetuating greater certainty for both. Bridging the Gap from Past to Future is Key: Certainty is fostered, in part, by building a “bridge” of trust that links the known past to an unknown future through a culture of shared value that builds confidence and buy-in to the mission. In this way, the tumultuous history of the Edwards should increasingly become a remnant of the past, not to be forgotten but to be used as lessons learned from which we draw knowledge, if not inspiration, to reinvent ourselves for service to the region over the next 20 years. In this way, we can evolve from a reactive, risk averse past to a proactive, collaborative and engaging people-first culture that unites people around ideas and policies in which they feel invested.