View From HQ - 2011/02
December wasn't that happy and joyous for some. We lost AMA's former executive director, Jim Cherry, and a large supporter of aeromodeling, LeRoy Weber. Please keep their families in your prayers for the new year.
This month I will continue to present the Strategic Long Range Plan (SLRP) for the Academy. Keep in mind that this is a living document; we will keep it updated on AMA's website.
Strategic Long Range Plan (SLRP)
Membership Objective
To increase the current AMA membership trend to one of steady growth.
- Membership development: Design and implement programs that encourage membership recruitment at all levels—individuals, clubs, AMA districts, and retail outlets.
- Membership retention: Identify and develop value-added programs, enhancing the direct and indirect benefits of AMA membership.
Flying Site Acquisition Objective
To develop programs to support local clubs in identifying, securing, and retaining traditional outdoor and indoor flying sites.
- Club programs for flying site acquisition: Provide appropriate materials to support local clubs' efforts in securing flying sites.
- Provide professional expertise, guidance, and legal support: Provide a national contact (Flying Site Assistance Coordinator) for clubs and individuals to seek counsel and advice in site acquisition. Provide, when appropriate, legal support to local clubs in efforts to retain sites.
- Enhance government awareness and acceptance of model aviation: Continue AMA programs that expose local government leaders to the benefits of allowing modeling on public lands and facilities. Build relationships with the Environmental Protection Agency and similar organizations that could provide access to potential flying sites.
Museum Objective
The museum and library are dedicated to collecting and preserving significant pieces of aeromodeling history in order to inspire a broad and passionate understanding of the historic, scientific, technical, and artistic legacy of model aviation. The goal is to create learning opportunities that stimulate the imagination and encourage visitors to become actively involved in the world of aeromodeling.
- On-site experience: Create inspiring and memorable experiences for visitors of all ages by allowing them to interact with the collection through exhibits, tours, and programming.
- Off-site experience: Provide access to the collection through engaging web-based applications and off-site exhibits to reach audiences beyond the museum.
- Artifact, archives, and library protection: Allocate resources to properly care for, manage, and exhibit the collection to ensure its long-term protection.
Measurement
Performance measurement supports strategic planning and goal setting. Without the ability to measure performance and progress, the process of developing strategic plans and goals is less meaningful. The measurement of objectives such as Membership is easily tracked because of the historical data available. Objectives such as those for Education, Government Affairs, Marketing, and others are more elusive in establishing milestones and data points.
New data points will become more meaningful as a baseline is established in the AMA Annual Program of Work (POW), which is an annual business plan, and measurable goals are determined. An annual report recapping the success of programs, addressing the strategies and actions, will be produced. This SLRP is the management tool that will allow the Executive Council to reevaluate the five objectives, their strategies and actions, and adjust the next year's POW.
Conclusion
Since its inception in 1936, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has been an acknowledged leader in support of model aviation activities in the United States and throughout the world. The face of aeromodeling continually changes, and AMA is dedicated to identifying those changes in order to maintain the high level of support and benefits it provides to its membership.
This strategic plan is one of many tools AMA uses to maintain its leadership position in the aeromodeling world. It is not a sterile document, but a living, moving road map to the future that can respond to the unexpected while keeping the association on track and focused on providing a continuously high level of service to the membership.
Reaching the goals established in this plan will require a combined effort of the entire AMA family. From the general membership to the association leadership and staff, each will play an important role in the success of the plan. A coordinated effort will produce a wealth of resources and strength. AMA will achieve the goals set forth in this plan and continue its leadership role into the foreseeable future.
To contact Executive Council members, please go to http://bit.ly/fUyKMT.
I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays, and here's to another good flying season.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
