Charting Our Future Together: Strategic Planning Retreat Brings Stakeholders Together

This past Friday and Saturday marked a significant milestone for our association as approximately 40 stakeholders from across our state and regions came together for our Strategic Planning Retreat. The energy, engagement and collaborative spirit demonstrated throughout these two days have left me genuinely excited about the future we're building together.

A True Collaborative Process

The retreat brought together MEMSPA leadership, regional representatives, members and partners—all united by a shared commitment to strengthening our association and advancing our collective mission. Through structured protocols and meaningful conversations, participants engaged in thoughtful dialogue about where we've been, where we are, and–most importantly–where we're headed.

Your Voice Made a Difference

A cornerstone of our work was the stakeholder survey data collected from members and partners across our community. Your input on our association's strengths, challenges, opportunities and future direction provided invaluable insights that shaped our discussions and informed our strategic decisions. The themes and patterns that emerged from your responses helped us identify priorities and chart a clear path forward.

Thank you to everyone who took time to complete the survey. Your voice truly mattered and directly influenced the outcomes of this retreat.

A Renewed Foundation

I'm thrilled to share that our board has approved a refreshed vision, mission, pillars and tagline that will guide our work moving forward:

Vision: MEMSPA will be the trusted community for educational leaders.

Mission: MEMSPA connects and supports Michigan's community of educational leaders.

Pillars: Professional Learning, Advocacy, Membership and Engagement, and Organizational Systems

Tagline: Lead with us (#LeadWithUs)

Strategic Goals: Our goals for the next several years fall into three categories:

• Membership & Engagement: Increase membership and engagement.

• Professional Learning: Advance the profession through high-quality and relevant professional learning opportunities.

• Support: Serve aspiring to retiring leaders.

These foundational statements and goals reflect our collective aspirations and will guide our decision-making and actions as an association. They emerged from the collaborative work of our stakeholders and represent our shared commitment to excellence and service.

Moving Forward with Purpose

The strategic planning process doesn't end with this retreat—it's just the beginning. The priorities, action steps and renewed focus established this weekend will guide our work in the months and years ahead. We're committed to keeping our membership informed and engaged as we translate these strategic directions into tangible initiatives that serve our community.

We're also working to add value statements, visual representations and objectives to our goals to ensure our strategic plan becomes a living document that drives our association forward.

I'm grateful to every stakeholder who invested their time and expertise in this important work. The dedication, passion and collaborative spirit demonstrated throughout the retreat reinforced why our association is so vital to our profession and our state.

Together, we're not just planning for the future—we're actively shaping it. I look forward to the journey ahead and to continuing to serve alongside each of you.

Stay tuned for more updates as we begin implementing our strategic priorities and bringing our renewed vision to life.

In service and partnership,

Shanna Spickard, Ed.D., MEMSPA Executive Director