By Laurie Braden
In preparing my first entry for the NIRSA President’s Notes leadership blog, I’ve been reflecting on the last five years and the dialog surrounding our association’s recent governance transition. I’ve been thinking about how previous leaders have positioned us to be nimble, to adjust and grow as an organization, and about how the collective of our work is now taking shape and really beginning to shine.
NIRSA is a thriving organization and in the complex world of higher education we will continue to position ourselves as relevant leaders.
I am excited to share the work and values of this association with colleagues both on and off the LSU campus because NIRSA is becoming all that we imagined, and the power of us together is greater than you or me alone.
As your incoming 2014-2015 President, I am filled with more thoughts than this space affords; yet, I know for certain that starting my term with thanking you is the place that feels most comfortable. So, thank you to so many amazing members, volunteer leaders, and the Team at NIRSA HQ who allowed our NIRSA community to celebrate our largest conference together in Nashville! Over 2,800 attendees, including our largest-ever contingent of student members and first time attendees, came to Music City and added their voices to the chorus as we Harmonized Our Values.
Nashville was indeed a great success. I look forward to the work NIRSA members will accomplish this coming year and leading our NIRSA community as we Move Our Values Forward at the Gaylord Texan for NIRSA 2015.
I’ve been inspired by the saying “vision without execution is hallucination,” ever since I first came across it. I have the quote prominently displayed in my office to remind me that, while it is great to be visionary, it is also critical to implement that vision to action.
In this next year we look to capitalize on our strengths as an association working together to achieve many elements within our aligned strategic plan. This plan, adopted in June of 2013, was the work of many, and it will guide us as we bring to fruition the aspiration and vision of so many of our members.
This leads us to identify and leverage the many strengths of our association. NIRSA members are a diverse community engaging in the development of human potential. Our annual conference is an asset for continuous growth. Investment in NIRSA members through professional development opportunities is a key pillar in the activation of our strategic plan—a plan that aligns all of the NIRSA entities and serves as the foundation for total association success.
To this end we will continue to execute our strategic plan, with a special focus upon:
- The furthering of the Value of Collegiate Recreation Project – providing you as members with relevant data when you need it and in the format you need it
- The formation of a Leadership Development Task Force – to help us focus and refine our efforts to develop a deeply talented pool of future NIRSA leaders
- The formation of an Executive Education Task Force to study and provide options on how NIRSA provides relevant, timely professional development to members aspiring to or new to senior leadership positions in campus recreation
- The further refinement of the core competencies for collegiate recreation, a key part of the structure upon which the Professional Registry, as a competency-based designation, is built
Some of you may already know, but we recently launched the @NIRSAPresident Twitter handle. I hope you will follow along in the coming year as, together, we continue to move our association forward while positively impacting the lives of those we serve.
I’d also like to challenge you to get moving and ask that you challenge each other to get moving as we inspire our students and NIRSA community to realize all that we envision life to be. So let’s activate our community’s success together by executing our shared vision.
Yours in service and health,
Laurie
