T.E.A.M. Work
It hardly seems possible, but March 15 will mark the one-year anniversary of the passing of Steve Elkins. Throughout his nearly 30 years of service to CAMP Rehoboth, as the Executive Director and Editor of this publication and, along with his husband, Murray Archibald, as co-founder of the organization, Steve’s leadership was at the top of a long list of contributions he made here.
At times, the process of moving on has been a challenge. But it has proven to be a testament to his leadership that we have rallied, not only to keep things going, but also to mobilize and position ourselves to begin the process of identifying the next Executive Director.
In preparation, and in consideration of the collective community, staff, and board input that has been gathered over the last six months, the Long-Range Planning Committee (Leslie Sinclair, Murray Archibald, Sondra Arkin, and myself), working with the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, is putting the final touches on its strategic planning initiative. With clarity on where the organization wishes to spend its resources, the committee will present the resulting Strategic Plan, with specific directives for organizational efficiency, to the Board of Directors at its March meeting.
The Strategic Plan is a direct output of our efforts over the past ten months and will serve as a framework to help guide CAMP Rehoboth into the future. We began by identifying the values by which we operate and how those are reflected in our vision for community impact. We defined whom we serve, and a subsequent geographical consideration for the same, along with likely outcomes and how they are measured to ensure success.
The Staffing Analysis completed last fall has already proven to be a valuable tool in identifying the resources that will be needed to ensure the organization’s sustainability and to guide the path forward for CAMP Rehoboth.
The final step in our journey is now underway with the formation of the Succession Team, comprised of the Executive Director (ED) Search and Transition Committees. Both groups held a launch gathering on Saturday, February 16, under the direction of search consultant, Sonia Stamm. Discussed at this launch meeting were the organization’s readiness and board preparation for succession, a targeted timeline, and next steps.
A task that emerged was the need to create a targeted communications plan, addressing our goal of transparency, in order to keep our members, supporters, and the community as a whole informed of the efforts being made as we continue this transitional period of executive leadership.
Search Committee member Wes Combs, founding principal of Combs Advisory Services, offered his expertise in developing this plan. For more than 25 years, Wes has worked with private sector and non-profit leadership teams to communicate the right messages to the various stakeholder groups across all channels. The committee looks forward to working with him in this capacity.
In upcoming issues you will learn more about the other members of the Search and Transition Committees to demonstrate the strength and talent this group brings to this critical endeavor for CAMP Rehoboth.
Finally, the thoughtful and thorough preparation work that Murray Archibald has done this past year, as CAMP Rehoboth’s Interim ED, has laid the groundwork that will help position his successor in the most favorable light possible. The board and staff are grateful for his efforts.
The philosopher Aristotle said “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In looking at where CAMP Rehoboth has progressed this past year, despite the grief and the challenges which emerged, and at where we have yet to go, those words may be truer now than they’ve ever been. As the acronym TEAM says, “Together, Everyone Achieves More.” ▼
Chris Beagle is President of the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors and is a realtor at Berkshire-Hathaway-Gallo Realty in Rehoboth Beach.