As we near the midway point of my presidency, I am extremely excited at how much progress we have made as an organization in such a short amount of time. I find change so exciting that I want to provide this update so you can share the excitement with me.
Let me be clear that our successes to date are clearly a team effort. We ARE ACSM! The collaborative work I have witnessed among our volunteer leaders, committees, strategic health Initiatives, Board of Trustees and staff has been unparalleled. Serving as president is so rewarding when I am supported by such an extensive array of passionate professionals unified and motivated by a singular vision, and I thank everyone of you!
Speaking of vision, implementation of our new strategic plan has gained full speed, and the impact is hard to miss. That starts with our committees, strategic health initiatives and task forces that are working on more than 120 specific tactics, all tied to one or more of our strategic goals. Incredibly, 85% of these tactics have either been completed or are in-progress. What a tribute to our chairs, members, staff liaisons and the Strategic Planning Committee!
One of the strategic plan’s bold goals is to create a compelling customer experience for our members. As president, one of my focus areas is to develop a member engagement plan that supports this goal for those who call ACSM home. I am collaborating with our staff to develop a scope of work for a Member Engagement Task Force that will represent various stakeholder segments. The task force will be charged with assessing our current state, identifying opportunities, implementing tactics and establishing metrics for member engagement and satisfaction over time. Achieving high levels of satisfaction means that we are creating the kind of value that leads to member retention and fuels recruitment efforts. This, in turn, supports another of our bold goals: Building a fiscally sustainable organization.
As you know, we are also addressing a change in our leadership. Katie Feltman has been serving as ACSM’s interim CEO since January. I have been working with CEO Search Committee Chair Irene Davis and the other members of the committee to evaluate this role in light of our future direction and needs. After months of due diligence, including a review of Katie’s performance as Interim CEO, the Search Committee unanimously recommended to the Board of Trustees that Katie Feltman be considered as the sole candidate for the permanent CEO position. Based on her many qualifications and job performance, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the recommendation in August.
Over the last two months, the Search Committee conducted a formal interview process with Katie that involved various members and staff stakeholders within ACSM. The Search Committee is now gathering and reviewing feedback from the interview groups and will make a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees on Nov. 2. If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact Irene or me. Stayed tuned for more!
Socrates once said that “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” As we embrace our rich history and continue following our strategic plan, we truly are focused on building something new and exciting because, together, We Are ACSM!