PROFILE steered and controlled is if people get involved and take a vested interest in it .” He added that the strength of STMA is its members . “ If they are not actively involved and help drive us where we need to go , then we are going to fall flat and fail ,” he said . “ We have to find a way to get them engaged , get them to take a vested interest and keep the association moving forward .”
McKenna hopes members will continue to reach out to STMA for help and guidance .
“ At the root of it , our association is here for our members ,” he said . “ I think our role is to help them however we can .”
McKenna wants to continue to work to improve the professional image of sports field managers , and also develop future sports field managers .
“ I ’ m always going to have a focus on the teaching side and developing the next generation ,” he said . “ As you look across the industry , that is one of the major problems . I think we need to figure out where we go and how we get people involved in our industry so that we can continue to develop these well-trained sports field managers .”
McKenna added that the top goal during his upcoming year as STMA president is to develop a long-term strategic plan . Due to COVID-19 , and the inability to meet in person as a board , STMA developed a one-year bridge strategic plan . According to McKenna , the board now needs to have a strategic plan session to develop its vision for where the association is headed the next two to three years and how to get there .
As STMA president , he plans to rely on his fellow board members to steer the association and determine priorities .
“ It ’ s not just my vision . I just happen to be the person that they put at the rudder for the year . There are 12 other amazing professionals I get to work with . I ’ m going to rely on them to help me know what our priorities are going to be . My job is to orchestrate the symphony .” SFM
John Kmitta is associate publisher and editorial brand director of SportsField Management magazine . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com February 2021 | SportsField Management
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