Board of Trustees

LSC members meeting to create and review the strategic plan.

Strategic Plan

In 2002, the Leadership Stark County Board of Trustees began to re-examine LSC's mission, purpose, and impact on the community. We began a strategic planning process facilitated by current Board members. By summer 2003, we had accomplished significant work toward identifying key strategic issues and articulating goals.

LSC Executive Board Member Kathy Strong, (Executive Director, J.R. Coleman Outreach Services) diligently led the committee and group throughout this period. Members gathered historical information, designed questionnaires, distributed surveys, attended committee and full membership meetings of the Board of Trustees and the LSC Alumni Association, and conducted small focus group sessions made up of Alumni, corporate leaders and other key decision makers in our community. Main areas for targeted discussion included:

While we realized that our local community offers numerous talented consultants (including members of our own Board) who could conduct a full-day retreat to help us accomplish the final phase and bring closure to our strategic planning process, we believed that the objectivity of an outside facilitator would better serve LSC. An RFP was developed and Dr. Chet Bowling, State Specialist in Community Leadership and Management, Ohio State University, facilitated the Board through a daylong retreat.

At the end of the retreat, Leadership Stark County Board Action Teams were created around the 5 identified "Statements of Intent."

  1. Leadership Stark County prepares and challenges leaders to address emerging and existing Stark County issues and needs.
  2. Leadership Stark County is financially stable and positioned for future growth.
  3. Leadership Stark County seizes market opportunities to partner with others in meaningful and productive ways to achieve our purpose.
  4. Leadership Stark County actively pursues the participation of all segments of the community.
  5. Leadership Stark County's alumni are actively involved.

LSC Board Action Teams met throughout the next 6 months to identify action steps.
We asked each Board member to choose one of the statements of intent to work on as part of a Board Action Team for the next 6-12 months. Board Action Teams responsibilities included but were not limited to prioritize objectives, develop action steps and timelines in order to accomplish the objective(s). Many action steps were suggested at the planning retreat. The prioritization and modification of objectives would be the responsibility of the action team. Several items show overlap in intent areas. BAT chairs would convene before or at LSC board meetings to monitor areas of overlap.

Many of the Board Action Teams recommendations have been implemented. Board Action Teams continue to meet, collaborate and evolve as the action steps are developed.

Strategic Plan Highlights

Leadership Stark County prepares and challenges leaders to address emerging and existing Stark County issues and needs.

Objective

Actions
Continue to provide existing Leadership Program and strive for continued improvement.
  1. Add the skill of fund raising to a program day.
  2. Increase connectedness between program day committees
  3. Offer advanced learning opportunities for alumni and existing leaders
  4. Involve alumni in Regional Programming
LSC will be identified as the 'go to' place for volunteer leadership opportunities in Stark County
  1. Create email links for non-profit organizations and needs
Evaluate alumni involvement in Community Affairs
  1. Track and Report changes in participation as volunteers and officers

We are financially stable and positioned for future growth.

Objective

 Actions
Tuition will cover 55% of the budget (currently 45%).
  1. Raise Tuition by $150 to $1850.
  2. Assure that scholarship funds assist needy applicants
Reduce fund raising from 55% of funds needed to 30%
  1. Begin to use accumulated earnings
  2. Consider other sources of earned revenue (cross ref: statement of intent III).
Raise 15% of budget from sponsor revenue.
  1. Establish solicitation plan for corp/ind/foundation donors

We seize market opportunities to partner with others in meaningful and productive ways to achieve our purpose.

Objective

Actions
Continually position LSC through a variety of programming to take advantage of new and potential sources of earned revenue
  1. Investigate feasibility of youth training in partnership with local organizations, school systems, colleges
    - Freshman Academy Bus Tour (with statement #1)
  2. Develop a strategy to access and implement new opportunities
  3. Investigate the history of LSC partnerships
  4. Identify past partnerships successes
  5. Assess LSC capacities and leadership needs in the community
  6. Reevaluate information gathered from focus groups, reconvene focus groups
  7. Develop a Leadership continuum
  8. Develop a program for increased civic involvement with elected officials in partnership with Chambers and Ohio State U.
Evaluate program partnerships
  1. Assess evaluate and recommend strategies to determine future plans
    - Encounter Bus Tour
    - Local Government Academy

We actively pursue the participation of all segments of the community

Objective

Actions
We actively pursue the participation of all segments of the community  
Develop a plan for making contact with various segments of the community to make them aware of LSC
  1. Compile and review lists of minority organizations
  2. Identify and contact key individuals and organizations
Involve more minorities as presenters during LSC program days.
  1. Develop a list of minority presenters and engage them for program days
  2. Interact with program day committees and chairs

Our alumni are actively involved

Objective

Actions
Involve alumni continually in the community
  1. Continue or initiate service projects
    - Salvation Army Kettle Drive
  2. Track Participation in Community Affairs
    - surveys, email links
Continually involve alumni in LSC program
  1. Alumni will be involved in program days
  2. Encourage participation in pre-site visits, program days, board service
Increase Alumni involvement financially
  1. Involvement with Annual Fund Drive
    - Establish Golf Outing
  2. Use Ribs Burn Off earnings for scholarships
Increase Alumni involvement Socially/ interaction/networking
  1. Establish a firm alumni calendar
Develop a Celebration of Leadership
  1. Access options to showcase leadership in Stark County