1. Strategic Planning Committee Update
September 2019

2. Committee Members Mark ‘Buster’ Douglas (Langley, VA) -- Chairman
Stephen Gourley (Mile High 127, CO)
Paul Hendricks (Seidel, TX)
Caroline Jok (Prescott-Goldwater, AZ)
Peter Jones (Yeager, WV)
Jamie Navarro (Green Mountain, VT)
Heather Penney (Staff Liaison)
We need a concise mission statement that articulates the who, what and when. The how comes in the strategic thrusts.

3. SPC Approach Operating Year 2018-2019: Mission analysis only
Examine current plan and determine where changes are needed
Back brief EXCOM, BoD and Convention Delegates on mission analysis
Incorporate feedback into planning
Operating Year :
Develop new Strategic Plan
Methodology:
Review the mission
Examine the internal and external environment (SWOT)
Define major strategic thrusts (first cut at the “how”)
Review the Vision statement
Our intent is to conduct a thorough mission analysis and seek feedback before writing a new Strategic Plan.

4. Mission Statement Determined we needed a new mission statement:
Current mission statement is not known by most members; confusion with “Advocate, educate, support”
Too long and too wide ranging
Need to focus on Who we are and What we do, not How we do it
Current mission statement:
Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force, a strong national defense, to honor and support Airmen, and to remember and respect our Air Force Heritage.
Proposed mission statement:
Advance aerospace power and a pre-eminent US Air Force for now and into the future.
We need a concise mission statement that articulates the who, what and when. The how comes in the strategic thrusts.

5. Strengths
Excellent advocacy and influence among national security leadership (Mitchell)
Recognition programs like “Twelve Outstanding Airmen” connects with target audience
Outreach programs (mag, MI, DB, etc) have influence over a large, key audience
Growing recognition of main symposia as professional development opportunities, connecting AF leadership to Airmen and industry
National level programs (CP, SX, Wounded Airmen)
We have excellent chapter innovations that can be adopted by other chapters

6. Weaknesses
Lack of depth in volunteer leadership positions at all levels
Our membership does not understand how to access much of the AFA’s overall capabilities (and they aren’t using existing training materials to learn)
Lack of organizational integration (big data and comm)
Low member participation at Chapter level
No clear value proposition for being a member (especially when targeting different demographic groups)
Poor structure for promulgating professional development opportunities to the Field
Ageing membership is a symptom of lower relevance to younger generations

7. Opportunities
Enhance strategic alliances to reach other choir audiences (AFSA, AFCEA, etc.)
Expanded professional development programs allow us to reach a broader, professional/military audience
AFA is producing on-line and video products that allow us to reach a larger public audience (Mitchell programs, on-line mag, daily news s etc.)
Develop a resource tool-kit to help chapters build capabilities
Untapped membership pool across the Air Force Family

8. Threats Defense budget reductions impact industry support for AFA
Competition for resources (time, talent and money) both internal and external to AFA
Potential members view of AFA as a “retired officer association”
A possible deterioration of the relationship with the Air Force (both leadership and JAG) at both the national and chapter levels
Public ambivalence / lack of understanding of USAF, foreign policy and the military in general

9. Strategic Thrusts
Major statements of how we will accomplish our mission:
Educate:
Inform the public and government leaders on the value and importance of aerospace power
Provide first-rate opportunities for professional development for the Total Force
Advocate:
Advocate for sound policies and capabilities impacting and benefiting the Air Force, as well as past, present, and future Airmen and their families
Support:
Enables a strong technical base through STEM Education
Supports our Airmen and their families past, present, and future
The Strategic Thrusts provide a high-level description of what we need to do to be able to complete our mission and ultimately get to the visions we set to make a reality. They provide the basic description off how we will move forward as an organization. Over the next year, developing the additional details will provide the bulk of the strategic plan.

10. Vision Statement Our analysis revealed the need an updated vision:
Current vision statement is not known by most members
Too long and too wide ranging
Need to focus on What we do not How we do it
Current vision statement:
The Air Force Association will be the premier professional military and aerospace education association in the nation, dedicated to United States dominance in air, space and cyberspace, a strong national defense, and support for the men and women of the United States Air Force.
Proposed vision statement:
AFA as the primary wingman for the US Air Force, in which all Air Force Family members are Airmen for Life.
The vision was our most contentious topic. We chose to describe our vision of what external success looks like rather than internal success. In other words success as it relates to our mission rather than organizational success.

11. Back-Up Slide