This past semester, students in Professor Alexander’s Strategic Planning class facilitated the strategic planning process for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM). MAAM is one of only six accredited museum associations in the U.S. and offers resources to the Mid-Atlantic museum community through workshops, symposia, conferences and more. Over the past decade, the organization has worked to build its relevancy and community in the Mid-Atlantic region, setting itself apart with its Building Museums Conference. Looking toward a new chapter of growth, MAAM partnered with CGP’s strategic planning team to define its goals for the future and outline a three-year roadmap to achieving them.
The CGP team began the strategic planning process by researching internal and external factors affecting the association, and conducting surveys and informal interviews to gain a clearer understanding of MAAM’s overall position among its stakeholders and in the field. Students took on leadership roles as they split MAAM’s trustees into task forces and met numerous times throughout the semester to discuss and draft the critical issues, goals, and action steps for the four major functions of the organization: finance & sustainability; governance & administration; communications & marketing; and programs, audience & membership. Collectively, they reviewed and revised MAAM’s organizational mission, vision, and values during the first of three major meetings with MAAM’s Board of Trustees and staff. These meetings also presented a forum where the team reported on their progress and solicited feedback at different stages of the strategic plan’s development.
Led by Project Director Tucker Broadbooks (‘22), the team was made up of five second-year students who brought to the table skills and tools learned in other CGP classes such as Project Management, Boards and Governance, Museum Administration and Finance. Working with a professional organization like MAAM offered students the opportunity to blend classroom learning with practical experience.