Renewing Commitments & Vision

Late last month, all 10 current members of the Board of Directors joined staff for a full day of rich discussions at the Grounds For Health Annual Board Retreat in Burlington. Three months into my tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer, this was a wonderful opportunity for staff and Board to renew our commitments and ensure alignment on key operational strategies.

I have worked with several NGO boards and have never seen such a high level of engagement from every single one of the talented and committed members. We are still working through the decisions, action items and implications, but for me the highlights included:

• We aligned around a renewed articulation of our mission, vision and organizational identity, which embodies the ideals and aspirations that have inspired Grounds For Health since it was founded in 1996 but offers a sharper focus on the essentials of cervical cancer prevention.
• There was considerable enthusiasm for innovations in cervical cancer prevention—capitalizing on new and emerging medical technologies and combining them with alternative delivery models that build on our relationships with coffee producer organizations. Grounds For Health will remain on the cutting edge of these issues.
• The Board approved an ambitious investment plan, including additional resources for fundraising to support our aspirations for impact.

There were, of course, many other decisions, but perhaps the most important outcome of the meeting was the sense of energy and enthusiasm.

It’s now up to us to execute on these strategies and maintain the positive momentum. It’s an exciting time, and we’re already hard at work.