Hello LeadingAge Missouri Members!

Please allow me to double up on perspectives. This is our last member communication before Thanksgiving. Thus, my perspective is significantly influenced by all for which we are thankful. But we’re also beginning an important process to reshape LA MO’s future. Let’s begin there.

Last summer, your association committed to refreshing our strategic plan and hired Andy Edeburn of Elder Dynamics to facilitate the process. Anyone who heard Andy’s presentation at Annual Conference knows he’s deeply experienced and remarkably insightful about our field and skilled at crafting blueprints for success. He’s helped LeadingAge, several state affiliates, and countless providers discover and embrace bold missions, visions, and “true norths.”

After conversations with LA MO Board officers, Andy and I met to map out LA MO’s planning process. Staff recently completed the first step – a “document dump” designed to acquaint Andy with our members, mission, leadership, partnerships, governance, direction, finances, and accomplishments. Reviewing the documents made me proud of our past and excited about our future!

Now, we must engage you in mapping your association’s future. Last week we sent you a survey and invited you to respond to questions and share thoughts, perspectives, and suggestions to help LA MO’s planning. If you haven’t already, please devote a few minutes to respond here to eleven questions. LA MO exists to serve you and to advance your organization’s mission of care and service to older Missourians. Candidly, incorporating your needs and wants in our strategic plan is foundational.

Informed by your input, Andy will then interview key LA MO leaders and stakeholders. We’ve identified most, but if you would like to recommend someone, please email me. We are committed to learning from members and supporters through both the survey and interviews.

Finally, Andy will organize and share the data collected and guide the LA MO Board and staff through a plan discovery process. Our mission, vision, and values will be examined and our association strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities probed. Out of the professionally facilitated process will emerge strategic goals, tactics to achieve them, and metrics to measure progress toward them. From my perspective, this is exactly what we need. It’s an exciting, illuminating process and I’m thankful for the Board’s commitment and your participation and support. We look forward to sharing our new plan with members at the Annual Meeting next May.

All of us at LeadingAge Missouri are thankful for you members who contribute to advancing our field and association. Even more, we’re thankful for your team members, who dedicatedly deliver care and comfort to residents every day. At Thanksgiving, we pause to recognize and appreciate all who are committed to the care and service of older Missourians. But to those laboring on Thanksgiving Day across Missouri in LA MO member communities – to brighten the lives of residents and their families – we offer extra heartfelt appreciation.

Happy Thanksgiving LeadingAge Missouri Members! Thank you!

Yours in Service,

Bill