March 2, 2022
A Message from Dan Lewis, Chair of MHLC's Strategic Planning Committee
In early 2020 I was asked to chair a committee to develop a new five year strategic plan for the organization. A committee of eight members was formed that included four MHLC Board members, two staff members, and two Advisory Council members who had previously served as board chairs. We had our organizational meeting in February of 2020, and the process was underway. A few weeks later, things came to a halt due to the pandemic. Clearly, we could not focus on the next five years when we were not certain what the next five weeks or months would mean to the organization! So, we waited.
As time passed and MHLC addressed the immediacy of the pandemic, we went back to work. The committee was confident that we wanted a finished product that would be a working template for the organization for the next five years. We strived for a document that would define our guiding principles and be actively used by staff, board, donors, and volunteers—not just something to be completed and then sit on a shelf. We needed to highlight our strengths while addressing areas of uncertainty, such as our organizational capacity and our approach to climate change and its impact on the lands we protect. There were processing sessions with staff, the board, the Advisory Council, volunteers, and donors to get valuable feedback. We also consulted numerous outside resources. During the process, we realized that our mission statement needed an update. The committee deemed it important to state publicly a vision for the organization and the values that we hold in working toward that vision.
What you see in this Annual Report is the culmination of our work: our Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Values Statement, and the Strategic Plan 2022-2026. Thank you to everyone who devoted so much time and creative energy to accomplish this. It was a truly inclusive and collaborative process, and the documents will provide the roadmap for a strong, vibrant, and ethical organization.
