WHERE ARE WE NOW? A BOARD MEMBER’S RETROSPECTIVE
It
has
been
an
extraordinary
year
for
the
Association
of
Outdoor
Recreation
&
Education!
It
was
a
year
of
new
partnerships,
new
initiatives,
and
new
member
benefits.
For
the
board
of
directors,
it
was
a
year
of
laying
the
groundwork
for
effective
and
lasting
governance
for
the
association.
When
AORE
hired
its
first
executive
director,
the
board
recognized
that
the
existing
governance
structure
needed
to
be
reworked
to
accommodate
the
organization’s
growth.
A
review
process
ensued,
taking
in
the
research
and
hard
work
of
previous
boards.
We
looked
at
different
models
used
for
non-‐profit
organizations
and
enlisted
the
help
of
an
outside
consultant
called
the
NEW
Center.
The
consultant
helped
us
explore
best
practices
for
leadership
specific
to
AORE’s
size
and
scope.
As
the
board
was
looking
to
adapt
its
governance
policy,
it
recognized
that,
like
with
any
institution,
its
officers
needed
professional
training
and
guidance
in
leading
a
non-‐profit
organization.
With
this
in
mind,
AORE
sent
the
president
and
president-‐elect
to
a
training
in
Ann
Arbor
entitled
“How
to
be
an
extraordinary
chairperson”
and
it
was
very
successful.
Through
consulting,
professional
development,
and
diligence,
the
board
produced
a
working
draft
of
the
AORE
Board
Governance
Policy
by
the
2013
pre-‐conference
meeting.
Moving
forward,
the
board
will
work
to
implement
this
policy
and
make
the
best
decisions
for
AORE’s
membership
and
stakeholders.
In
addition
to
a
new
governance
policy,
the
Financial
Advisory
Committee
was
created
this
year
to
ensure
smart
fiscal
practices
for
AORE.
Where
are
we
as
an
organization
now
and
where
do
we
want
to
be
in
5
years?
10
years?
We
work
in
a
dynamic
profession
with
constantly
changing
issues
and
trends.
It
is
the
responsibility
of
AORE
to
stay
in
tune
with
these
changes,
and
apply
our
resources
and
energy
accordingly.
The
board
and
national
office
are
becoming
more
adept
at
recognizing
these
trends
to
meet
the
needs
of
AORE
members.
Currently,
access
and
land
issues
are
at
the
forefront,
and
AORE
has
b