BOARD MEMBER MITCH HOFFMAN TALKS ABOUT AORE'S NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK


What are you most excited about with the proposed mission statement?
The new mission statement widens the umbrella that encompasses AORE programs. Outdoor recreation and education is a relatively new industry in the big scheme of things and it wasn't that long ago that college outdoor programs were their own unique subset of the outdoor education space. As those programs (which have traditionally been the bulk of AORE members) have evolved and grown, they are no longer different than many other outdoor recreation and education programs in the space. We need to harness this opportunity to collaborate and provie a broader, and louder, voice to articulate the value and advocate for the continued progression of our place in the outdoor industry.

Relative to the greater outdoor space, how will the strategic framework positively help our identity and branding?
We know how effective we have served our niche over the past 25 years, but now our traditional AORE members and programs are overlapping and working in much broader spaces as we learn more about the reach of outdoor education programs. With the outdoor industry measured at over $420 billion we are part of something much bigger, and need to set our strategy to be dynamic and evolve to meet our members, and future members, needs in this space.  I have worked to bring AORE's brand visibility into the greater outdoor industry space over the past 10 years by attending the Outdoor Retailer trade shows.  Through this work, I have seen first hand how we have been successful in advocating for our membership and changing the way the greater industry views our programs.  This established brand is now positioned to make continually greater impacts in the industry.  AORE is so much more than it was 5-10 years ago and this strategic framework will allow us to continue to grow our reach and better serve a broader membership as we move forward with the outdoor industry.

As a board member, how do you think these changes will help guide AORE's work?
As I look at how my board service this term is different from when I served in 2008; I am so proud of how we have persevered and grown as an Association. We have evolved to understand both our strengths and weaknesses and work together as a strategic and innovative group of board members to guide the current Association at an exciting time.  Working to identify our role in the greater industy, while evolving our governance to reflect our current size and strategy has been challenging work.  Setting this new strategy is the keystone to this work that will allow years of work before to come together. I know the membership is only going to benefit from this as we look to build upon our foundational history and add innovation that enhances all of our members and programs.

 
Want to learn more about AORE's new strategic framework and proposed mission statement? Get Board Chair Kellie Gerbers' take on things here and find out what Board Member and Strategic Planning Task Force Lead Bryan Karban has to say here