ED Group Survey Results and Steering Committee

Following up on Pat Roger's post, the Southern Tier ED meeting featured a review of a survey that gauged interest in a possible ED Group. The survey is available for your review here. Some highlights from the survey are below. After the survey discussion, the participants affirmed that an Executive Directors Group should be formed. Volunteers for a Steering Committee were recruited, and a planning meeting will be set to discuss how the Group should move forward. The meeting will address structure and meeting format. Interested in being on the Steering Committee? Contact us.

Southern Tier ED Group Steering Committee:

• Kelly Morgan, Allegany County Red Cross
• Nancy Blake, Career Development Council, Inc.
• Sara Palmer, Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes
• Dick Russell, Faith in Action Steuben County
• Elaine Farwell, Tanglewood Nature Center & Museum
• Denise Townley, Rape Crisis
• Joyce Hyatt, Chemung Valley Rural Health Network
• David Hill, Pro Action of Stebuen and Yates, Inc.
• Amy Christensen, Southern Tier Legal Services
• Patrick Rogers, IHS

Majority believe there is a need for an ED Group

• High 35.3% 18
• Moderate 35.3% 18
• Would be helpful, but not essential 27.5% 14
• No need 2.0% 1

Priority areas for a Group are:

• Networking
• Policy and Local Government Issues
• Board Membership and Recruitment Issues
• Fund Development and Grantseeking Issues
• Trainings and Workshops for Staff Development
• Skill Development for Executive Leadership
• Economic and Community Impact of Nonprofits in Region
  Other ideas
• Collaboration on programs
• Partnerships and/or Merger opportunities/benefits
• How to use area resources to our best advantage
• Classes to prepare new directors for the up-coming retirement of baby boomers currently in management positions
• United Way already has an ED group of agencies they fund that meet on a regular basis so trying to combine or tie in with that so there is not another meeting. Also travel is increasingly becoming an issue for agency budgets so the more on-line and list serve communications is better
• staff retention and recruitment of healthcare workers to rural areas
• I would be interested in having key community leaders provide presentations on pertinent budgetary and legislative matters. These could include Congressman, State Senator, Assemblyman and County Administrator.
• Partnerships for emergency preparedness
• Exploring sharing of administrative costs and staff like accounting and infrastructure.

EDs prefer the following structure for a Group:

• Face-to-face meetings
• Presentation by outside speaker on topic of interest
• Quarterly meetings
• Participation from Five county region (Steuben, Allegany, Chemung, Schuyler and Yates)