The board and staff members of the NWT Literacy Council met face-to-face last weekend for a board meeting, our Annual General Meeting (AGM), and a strategic planning session.
Our Board of Directors has members from each region of the NWT. Because of the costs associated with northern travel, our board usually meets via conference call with one in-person meeting each year. This meeting usually happens in the fall and coincides with our AGM. Our AGM gives us an opportunity to share our annual report with our members, present our audited financial reports and make changes to our by-laws. This year we were fortunate to secure funding from MACA’s stabilization fund to incorporate a day and a half of strategic planning into our weekend.
Strategic planning allows us to think about our direction and goals and how to effectively use our resources to achieve those goals. The Literacy Council undertakes strategic planning approximately every three years. As our programs grow and expand, it’s important that both board and staff members work together to ensure that we all have the same vision.
Our facilitator, Brigid Hayes, has a wealth of experience in the literacy movement on a national level. She has also done considerable work in the north, both with our organization as well as others in Yukon and Nunavut. We tweaked our vision and our values. Look to our website to see the changes in the weeks to come.
I can’t wait to see our finished plan. This “road map” will help us manage change effectively as our programs and board membership evolve. We want to continue to be a strong, vibrant organization as we celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2020, and in the years to come.
— Kathryn Barry Paddock, Executive Director
