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CASA of Lexington Board Retreat
Great to be back with CASA of Lexington for my 8th consecutive year facilitating their annual Board retreat!
An annual Board retreat is more than a day away from the regular meeting schedule. It’s an opportunity to step back, reflect on progress, strengthen relationships, and get aligned around the priorities that will move the organization forward.
Healthy Boards make time to work on the organization, not just in it. I’m grateful to partner with CASA of Lexington as they continue investing in strong governance and their mission of advocating for children who need a voice.
Scenario Planning with Panora Fiber
It was a pleasure facilitating a retreat with the Board and senior leadership team of Panora Fiber focused on scenario planning and preparing for the future.
I was especially impressed by this company—not only by its commitment to providing outstanding service to its customers, but also by the genuine commitment to serving and strengthening its community.
Great organizations don’t simply plan for the future. They create the capacity to navigate uncertainty, recognize opportunities, and continue delivering on their mission.
Thank you to the Panora Fiber team for a thoughtful and engaging day!
Youth First Board Retreat
One of my favorite parts of this work is getting to spend time with nonprofit Boards who are genuinely willing to learn, stretch, and get better together.
I had the opportunity to facilitate a Board retreat with the Board of Youth First in Evansville, Indiana, and it was a really meaningful day.
We spent time talking about the habits and practices of healthy governance, but we also tackled something that can be uncomfortable for many Board members: fundraising and advocacy.
And rather than simply talking about fundraising, we practiced it.
We worked through some real-world Board fundraising scenarios through facilitated role play—giving Board members a chance to try, stumble, laugh, learn, and build confidence in having conversations that can sometimes feel awkward.
That’s the kind of learning I love: practical, honest, and immediately useful.
Youth First’s mission makes this work especially meaningful. They are transforming and strengthening the lives of young people and their families by bringing Youth First Mental Health Professionals into area schools and providing prevention and behavioral health programs—free of charge and right where kids and families need them.
I left the retreat reminded once again that healthy Boards don’t happen by accident. They are built through intentional conversations, shared expectations, trust, practice, and a willingness to keep getting better.
Thank you to the Youth First Board for the energy, openness, and good humor you brought to the day. It was a privilege to spend time with you!
CASA of the Ohio Valley Board Retreat
Grateful for the opportunity to spend time with the Board and leadership of CASA of the Ohio Valley during a strategy retreat focused on what matters most: children. Court Appointed Special Advocates play a critical role in giving vulnerable kids a voice when they need it most, and this team’s passion and purpose truly stood out. Their work is mission-critical, and it was a privilege to support their strategic focus on impact and sustainability.
CASA of Lexington Board Retreat
Honored to facilitate a Board retreat with the dedicated Board of Directors of CASA of Lexington. Grateful for their commitment to advocating for children and strengthening the organization’s impact in the community. Inspiring to see leaders come together with such passion and purpose! 💙
Pillar Board Retreat
From strengthening relationships to aligning on our strategic goals, a Board retreat empowers an informed, engaged, and inspired team. It was a privilege to facilitate a retreat last week with the outstanding Board and senior leadership team from Pillar. Pillar’s mission is to provide supports to people with disabilities by promoting opportunity, choice, and connection to the community.
HOLA Board retreat
HOLA — an Evansville, Indiana nonprofit — was created to enhance appreciation of cultural diversity and promote the successful inclusion of Latinos in the community. The organization has evolved over its 20 years to reflect the needs of the growing Latino community. and currently focuses on promoting the success of the Latino community in the areas of education, careers, businesses, and financial literacy. I had such a wonderful time facilitating a Board retreat with the incredible leaders of HOLA focused on engaging and equipping Board and staff members for success in fundraising.
Walden School Board Retreat
Healthy Boards make time to lift their gaze to identify and discuss long-term opportunities and challenges, so they are best positioned to thrive into the future. It was a pleasure to facilitate a Board retreat with the talented leaders of Walden School. Walden is a K-12 independent school community where all students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Their students benefit from personalized learning, hands-on experiences, and connections to nature in an environment that celebrates individuality.
IndyGo Foundation Board Retreat
Access to public transportation and mobility options strengthen individuals’ independence and is a backbone for community growth and development. It was an honor to facilitate a Board retreat this week with the team from IndyGo Foundation. The mission of the IndyGo Foundation is to help the community thrive by connecting people through accessible, equitable, and inclusive mobility solutions.
CASA of the Ohio Valley Strategic Planning Retreat
It is magical when talented, passionate, and engaged leaders who are committed to the mission gather to plan for the future. Had a wonderful time facilitating a strategic planning retreat with the team from CASA of the Ohio Valley. These amazing leaders and volunteers advocate for abused, neglected, or dependent children within the Family Court systems of Daviess, McLean, Hancock, and Ohio Counties.
CASA of the Bluegrass Board Retreat
CASA of the Bluegrass recruits and trains Court-Appointed Special Advocates so every child who has experienced abuse, neglect, or dependency can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive. I had a great time this past Saturday facilitating a Board retreat with the leaders of this amazing organization!
NDPA Board Retreat
Last week I thoroughly enjoyed facilitating a multi-day Board retreat in Estes Park, Colorado with the talented team from National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA). After facilitating their strategic plan back in February, it was inspiring to see how much this team has already accomplished. NDPA elevates awareness to educate, advocate, innovate, and equip to prevent drownings.
Great Kids Board Retreat
Thank you to the Board and leadership team of Great Kids for inviting me to facilitate last week’s 2-day Board retreat in Philadelphia. Great Kids is an international leader in early childhood development. Great Kids creates early childhood education curricula and training for home visiting programs who support families.
Thank You CIT International!
Partnering with purpose driven organizations to inform, engage, and inspire their Board members energizes me every single day. I was honored to facilitate a Board retreat with the team from CIT International recently and equally honored to receive this heartwarming testimonial. I encourage everyone to learn more about their inspiring work to improve community responses to mental health crises by visiting their web site: CIT International
CIT International Board Retreat
Responding to those in crisis requires a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and substance use professionals, individuals, and families. Last week I had the privilege of facilitating a multi-day Board retreat with the team from CIT International. CIT International aspires to be a leader in promoting safe and humane responses to those experiencing a mental health crisis.
Walden School Long Range Planning Session
Leading in the present means understanding the ever evolving ecosystem around your organization. It was my pleasure to facilitate a long-range planning session with the Board of Walden School. Walden School provides an educational environment - both academic and social - that fosters a lifelong enthusiasm for learning and challenges individual students to reach their full potential so they may flourish in a diverse and changing world.
Council for a Livable World Board Retreat
A thoughtful Board retreat informs, engages, and inspires Board members. This week, I enjoyed facilitating a retreat with the Board of the Council for a Livable World (CLW). CLW is a nonpartisan nonprofit promoting policies to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, and to minimize the risk of war through lobbying and by helping elect and support Members of Congress who share these goals.
Retreats That Reinvigorate
Healthy teams are characterized by shared expectations, mutual support, and a culture of accountability. Board and staff teams both greatly benefit from opportunities to step back from regular business to allow time and space for reflection, evaluation, and critical discussions. When planned thoughtfully and executed well, a retreat can be a vital tool that builds trust and strengthens relationships among team members, while helping to ensure that the team is positioned to govern or lead effectively. A retreat may also allow a divided team to address conflict or pull together to address a critical issue. As you consider your next Board or staff retreat, here are a few thoughts to consider:
Clearly define the purpose of the retreat
Perhaps your organization is launching a new program. Maybe your Board or staff team are working through a particularly challenging or stressful period. Possibly your team would benefit from time spent clarifying roles and expectations and building relationships. Whatever the purpose of your retreat, it is important to “keep the main thing the main thing.” Avoid trying to cram too many goals into one retreat and instead focus on the quality of the experience rather than the quantity of objectives. Most effective retreats have no more than 1-2 key goals.
Facilitation matters
Whether you are working with an external facilitator or facilitating the retreat yourself, remember that ultimately, the wisdom lies with the members of the team who are in the room. A retreat is not an opportunity for one leader to dominate the agenda and present to an audience. Rather, a thoughtful retreat is one in which every member of the team feels seen, heard, and valued. An effective facilitator promotes respectful discussion and debate throughout the day while ensuring that the objectives of the retreat are met.
Document key discussion points and commitments to action
A retreat is an opportunity to embrace change, to build consensus around new activities or behaviors, and to set meaningful priorities. Board and staff teams pay attention not only to what happens at the retreat, but more importantly, what happens after the retreat. Positive energy from a great retreat experience can quickly evaporate if team members perceive “nothing happened” after the retreat. Throughout your Board or staff retreat, ensure that key discussion points are captured, and where commitments have been made, be sure they are recorded and followed up on.
Have you had a particularly moving or impactful experience at a Board retreat? We'd love to hear about it. If you would like to create an engaging and inspiring retreat for your Board team, let's talk!
Southwest Community Ministries Board Retreat
A Board retreat can be a vital tool that builds trust and strengthens relationships among Board members, while helping to ensure that the Board team is positioned to govern effectively. It was my pleasure to facilitate a Board retreat this week with the talented and committed Board of Southwest Community Ministries (SWCM). SWCM unites area churches, schools, businesses, and individuals to minister to the needs of neighbors who find themselves in poverty and/or crisis.
Visitation Hospital Foundation Board Retreat
Developing thoughtful, actionable strategy first requires alignment around the vision, mission, and values of the organization. It was my pleasure to facilitate a Board retreat this weekend with the tremendous leaders of Visitation Hospital Foundation. Visitation Hospital Foundation was founded in 1999 with the mission to provide competent and compassionate healthcare to the people of southwest Haiti and to empower them with resources to pursue their basic right to health and health education.