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In 2017, AORE continued to enhance membership opportunities, increase strategic partnerships, elevate member needs and interests on a national stage regarding access and permitting, and positively expand AORE’s reputation.
Governance highlights include alignment of paperwork (charters), players (board and committees), and policies. This requires ongoing education and coaching for board, staff, and volunteers differentiating between strategy and operations, governing, and management so AORE can most effectively pursue its mission.
The 2017 conference was a programmatic success including an elevated Demo Day and Outdoor Jamboree with the Community River Cleanup and LNT Workshop, a redesigned Leadership Institute and Region 2 USFS workshop, an intentional focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion applied to Summit Series, call for proposals and presenter training, an expanded career experience, and a comprehensive overhaul of the conference volunteer management program.
We continue to administer and manage AORE business with notable areas of expansion and improvement including:
Representing and articulating member needs on two national level industry steering committees: Wilderness Risk Management Conference & Coalition for Outdoor Access,
Representing AORE members’ interests and opportunities at the WEA accreditation summit,
Furthering expansion in strategic relationships through negotiation and cultivated partnership agreements with the Wilderness Education Association and the Association of Experiential Education for joint conferences in 2018 and 2019 respectively,
Co-facilitating over six Coalition for Outdoor Access/USFS regional trainings in response to the Chief’s Guidance Letter and navigating the permitting process,
Facilitating and supporting organization healthy practice include roles, responsibilities, and processes for: Task Force Creation, Development Committee, requiring Charters for all committees, and implementing an AORE Policy Position process,
Developing strategies to educate, recruit, develop, and orient all committee chairs to their roles, unique characteristics, and expectations,
Facilitating an improved committee/BOD liaison structure to ensure the committees have timely, correct information and direction,
Including development work on individual giving with major donor strategies, cumulative giving, operations for social media fundraising, email & print appeals, board and volunteer engagement, Ann Arbor donor event, and identifying foundation grants,
Co-facilitating the development, writing, and submission of four grants,
Facilitating 4 DEI Summit Exploration phone calls with industry leaders to co-create an experience at the AORE Annual Conference to empower participants to direct transfer knowledge gained at the conference around diversity, equity, and inclusion,
Convening a focus group of key stakeholders to consider the needs of AORE members, including both job seekers and employers/partners which resulted in an elevated experience to support both entry-level and mid-level professionals in their career development.
As an association – a collective of like-minded, passionate people – the AORE strives to communicate the value of outdoor recreation and education on a national stage. This is our work: to present a unified and influential position on behalf of the membership. AORE can educate the public and assist our membership to become more effective advocates where we live, work, and play. We are working to provide evidence-based strategies for growth, expansion, and inclusive excellence.
Adventure On,
Jeannette
Letter from the Executive Director
Executive Director, Jeannette Stawski, CAE