Cook County Community YMCA staff and advisory council members are so appreciative to our community for making our first year a very successful one. We also are grateful for the support we have received form the Duluth Area YMCA, Cook County, ISD 166, and the City of Grand Marais. We have learned that we all need to work together and support each other to make the CCYMCA a success. This is especially crucial for our YMCA staff and ISD 166 personnel.
Retreats and workshops were held last summer and this fall to develop a strategic plan for 2015. During these sessions, staff and advisory council members analyzed our mission, core values, membership demographics, and service area to develop plans for perceived needed improvements based upon input from members or community. This was done by a consensus process and a working document was adopted at our November CCYMCA Advisory Council Meeting. I would like to highlight some areas adopted for future improvements. The entire document is available at our office for those who more information.
Examples of areas that have been targeted with a brief statement about our change in emphasis (paradigm shift) are: . Membership: Maintain current 1,500 members and expand programs to seniors and young adults. Increase average of 215 visits per day with an emphasis on tourists. . Health Movement: We have been perceived primarily as a workout facility and we are working toward being recognized as a health movement organization as well as a leader in wellness. . Community Partnerships: We will work to expand strong relationships with a number of area businesses to develop corporate sponsorships, memberships, and collaborative projects. We also will focus on efforts to work collaboratively with ISD coaches in providing more support to their athletic programs. . Childcare: We will shift from providing nonlicensed childcare to licensed childcare. We will start planning for the potential for an offsite childcare center . Mentoring: We will be developing plans to provide traditional mentoring between adults and youth as well as alternative mentoring opportunities throughout the county.
We are excited about working on our strategic plan along with the changes in emphasis in how we program. As Advisory Council chair, I can assure our community that we are working on a continuous improvement model and our process is a “work in progress.” We will always seek input to improve how we serve our community and always strive for excellence. We appreciate your input on our surveys and encourage you to contact us to express your ideas/suggestions.
Thank you for all the cooperation and understanding for making our first year so remarkable. We also will appreciate your support in making year two even better!
Myron Bursheim, Advisory Council Chair
Grand Marais
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