A board member's perspective
It is difficult to believe that this is my third and final year as an AORE Board
of Directors member. As far as AORE’s growth as an association is concerned,
last year stands out in my mind. Last year, AORE saw a reconstruction of sorts.
2015 was the year that AORE put into gear the strategic plan that was
introduced to the membership at the 2014 conference. The plan consisted of
four pillars: Access, Organizational health, Relationship engagement, and
Education. These four pillars provided a road map for the Board of Directors to
follow as they deliberated on the association’s journey into the future. The pillars
were developed by the membership through a survey that asked what members
would like to see in the association moving forward. The board then organized and
presented the input for members to consider.
Last year was also the year that AORE saw the need to focus a little more on diversity
and own up to the fact that the association was not as diverse as it should be—and that it
had work to do in reaching underrepresented minorities. The Board of Directors gave the
go-ahead to create a Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce that ultimately led the association to
adopt a diversity and inclusion statement. As the first black board member in the
association’s history--and perhaps the only black who runs a campus outdoor program--the
issue of diversity in the outdoors is very close to my heart. The association’s focus on closing
the “adventure gap” is a great achievement in my eyes. I look forward to the day when AORE
conference attendees include more underrepresented minorities. The Diversity and Inclusion
Taskforce is continuing to gather data to find ways of understanding and eliminating the
adventure gap.
I continue to be excited about the BOD’s dedication to the association. Last year, AORE saw 100%
participation from the Board in the association’s fundraising efforts. Each board member serves
selflessly. I know that there is a lot to learn while serving on the board—I experienced personal and
professional growth as part of the process.
As the year drew to a close, during the preconference meetings in Atlanta, the BOD deliberated on the
2016 goals that had to feed into the strategic plan, and MAD was born. MAD stands for Membership growth,
Advocacy, and Development in terms of fiscal sustainability. It is in this spirit that 2015 ended--with enough
momentum to get into 2016 and beyond. It is awesome to serve the membership as a board member in this
great association.
By Albert Mitugo, AORE Board Member 2014-16
I continue to be excited about the BOD’s dedication to the Association.
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