Over fifty LA5 Rotarians gathered at Pepperdine University on October 22 to participate in a strategic workshop about the future of our club. The workshop, led by the Trinity Consulting Group, a graduate student strategy team from Pepperdine, allowed LA5 Rotarians to express concerns over the current state of our club as well as an opportunity articulate a vision for its future.
“I was encouraged by such great participation. For so many Rotarians to give up their Saturday speaks to the strength of our club. We care about our wonderful legacy; but we also care about our future,” Club President, Todd Johnson said.
Participants voiced a great desire to set a clear vision for the future. They felt that we could build upon the legacy of our club and use our influence to attract and activate strategic partnerships. They expressed concern over the Club’s slow decline in membership and offered suggestions for strengthening our effort to retain members.
Several key themes emerged from the workshop. The members called for more transparency in operations and decision-making. They encouraged the Club to be more inclusive across the ethnic, gender, age, and professional spectrum. Sensing that the structures of Rotary have become impractical for today’s professional, members underscored the need for the Club to become more flexible and felt that technology could help us become more innovative. Above all, LA5 members who participated in the workshop reinforced that the Club should actively initiate highly impactful, highly visible, projects to support the highest needs of our city.
“The process provided an opportunity for each member to hear others and to be heard,” said Rick Gibson, LA5 Club Secretary. “I think we will find a productive way forward if we each take ownership of the future of our club.”
The Trinity Consulting Group conducted a clarifying session on November 2nd and will provide their final strategic plan at a conference on November 19th at Pepperdine’s West Los Angeles Graduate Campus. This session, part of a larger conference, is open to any LA5 members who wish to attend. Interested members should RSVP with Dr. Bernice Ledbetter at [email protected].
The current leadership will provide a briefing for the Club shortly after receiving the full report and strategic plan from the Trinity Group.
