As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Montreat Conference Center is in a season of strategic planning. Launched last year, the MRA Board has already devoted significant time to the process during each of its last two meetings, and members of our full-time staff are engaged, as well.
Input from the broad spectrum of our constituency has come from beyond these two groups through interviews and focus groups. We’ve gathered information that is helping to identify trends, preferences, needs, and opportunities. Sorting through the input has sometimes validated our assumptions and sometimes contradicted them, sometimes affirmed our thinking and sometimes suggested the need for course correction.
This week, we’re inviting you to participate in a survey you can find here. The questions posed are simple enough and may only take you a few minutes to complete. I say “may” because the survey asks questions that seem basic at first glance but might encourage you to ponder seriously what you value most among the various programs and facilities that we provide. We even ask a couple of questions about your understanding of the Mountain Retreat Association and Montreat Conference Center. (Do you know the difference? Is there a difference? Sometimes I ask myself those very questions.) The questions don’t have “right” or “wrong” answers but do aim to help us understand you better, and better understanding you is key to enhancing our own communication with you.
Even more importantly, the answers we gather will serve as one more important tool in helping us ground our decision-making in quantitative and qualitative information. Overall, our hope is that your input will help us in setting goals and prioritize our work in ways that align with your interests, even as we keep our eyes firmly affixed to the overall vision and mission we are called to serve.
So, to summarize, please accept my invitation to participate. Whether you choose to answer the demographic questions is up to you – it will add weight to your responses. Regardless, whether you spend a few minutes or a little more than that, we’ll greatly appreciate the effort and the information you provide. Thanks so much!
Richard DuBose
President, Montreat Conference Center