As we integrate the Equiery and Horse Council, it is the right time to focus on our future as a combined
organization and so have begun the process of updating our strategic plan.
 
We are collecting relevant industry studies and will survey MHC members and non-members over the
next two months.  A Strategic Planning workgroup will convene for meetings June through August and
work with a facilitator to develop the plan.

Keep your eyes out for the surveys, and please share the links with your colleagues, clients, and friends.
We need responses from all segments of the industry to ensure we are creating a plan representative of
everyone the Horse Council serves.

The MHC completed its last strategic plan in 2009 and met almost every goal it set out to achieve. With changes in the industry and the legislature over the past decade, however, as well as internal changes with the acquisition of the Equiery and MHC’s Go Pro initiative, it is time to once again to take a hard look at where were are as an organization and where we want to go.

The goal of strategic planning is not only to end up with a written document, but to engage the MHC’s leadership, membership, and key stakeholders in a planning process. Benefits of the process include:

• Writing goals and objectives that are mission-driven, responsive to external factors, and realistic based on MHC’s organizational capacity and resources
• Ensuring most effective use of MHC’s resources by prioritizing goals while remaining open to change
• Building a sense of ownership and commitment through consensus building
• Developing and communicating specific messages, and
• Creating a baseline from which to measure future progress

The process, which began in March, will take approximately nine months resulting in a new plan to be ratified by the Board at the quarterly meeting in November.

Strategic plans are most useful when based on accurate and relevant information. Many factors will influence the direction and goals of the Maryland Horse Council. Therefore, we will review industry participation trends, the political climate in Annapolis, member and non-member perceptions of the MHC, sample plans from similar industry organizations, other related documents. We will also review key internal indicators to determine the rate and direction of MHC’s progress over the past several years.

MHC’s Executive Committee has set the goals and parameters for the planning process and we are engaging a diverse group of industry representatives to participate. This Strategic Planning Workgroup will convene for meetings June through August and work with a facilitator to develop the plan.

Perspectives of current MHC members, non-member horse owners, and equine industry professionals are critical to our success.  We need your input.

Keep your eyes out for the MHC survey over the next several weeks, and please share the links with your colleagues, clients, and friends.  We need responses from all segments of the industry to ensure we are creating a plan representative of everyone the Horse Council serves.