As of approximately six weeks ago, Paula Sliefert officially assumed the role of SFMA CEO, and I’m pleased to report that the transition has been smooth and successful.
In the short time she has been with us Paula has brought fresh energy and a clear, strategic mindset to the organization. She has quickly immersed herself in the day-to-day operations, and is already making a positive impact. One of the key strengths she brings is a strong focus on data-driven decision making, which is helping to bring clarity and direction to our initiatives.
A particular area of emphasis has been our membership categories. Paula is leading efforts to streamline and clarify these categories, with the goal of identifying opportunities to improve retention and drive renewals. Her approach is thoughtful, targeted and grounded in actionable insights. The following are two areas in which Paula’s leadership is already making a difference:
Listening tour
Paula sent almost 500 emails to solicit feedback from committee members, commercial members, past presidents, and the SFMA Board of Directors about how SFMA is doing and what we can do better. There was also a link sent to all SFMA members for their feedback. Paula spoke with nearly 240 members as part of the listening tour, and she continues to get feedback. The goal is to present the findings to the board at the fall board meeting in mid-
October, and then begin to implement some of those suggestions. We plan to share portions of the listening tour with the membership as part of the annual meeting.
Staff retreat
SFMA staff had a three-day retreat to discuss some strengths and weaknesses, as well as have Paula lay out some expectations after she was able to see the organization for 75 days. I attended the last two days of the retreat to make sure the board would follow up on their end. Paula met with former SFMA CEO Kim Heck for a bit, the group met with George Toma, and we also visited several professional stadiums in the area to check in and remind them that we value their membership.
I’m excited to see more changes as we move forward and start to prepare for the SFMA Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
– Adam Thoms, Ph.D.