Mary’s Message: October 2017

Dear UMA Members, EAGLE Accredited Communities, Partners and Supporters,

Last September, when I took the helm at UMA, I was inspired by the work and vision of UMA and EAGLE. This past 12 months, I have had the privilege of meeting and visiting so many UMA leaders throughout the country. Your stories and commitment continue to inspire the UMA leadership, staff and me. Together, we continue to work toward the UMA mission to improve the quality of life for those served by UMA members, to expand the footprint of service to those in need, and to lead the setting of standards of service through the EAGLE program.

Thank you for your tremendous support. With your dedication, energy and determination, we achieved a great deal in a busy 12 months and have much to celebrate. Here are some of the highlights:

Demonstrate and communicate the value proposition for UMA.

  • Visited 20+  member communities
  • Revised the member/EAGLE dues structure and expanded membership categories
  • Established the Annual Conference Relations Committee to develop and implement a new strategy to expand membership and engagement of UMC Annual Conferences.
  • Recruited 7 new and returning members, 13 Annual Sponsors and 14 Mission Supporters/Business members
  • Achieved 10 member and individual commitments of extraordinary support to strengthen UMA
  • Launched a new user-friendly website as a new website platform and UMA look is being developed
  • Expanded communication with monthly newsletters and new member features such as Then & Now.
  • Created a Connecting Communities social media campaign in collaboration with Varsity to share our member stories
  • Hosted UMA networking events at Alliance and LeadingAge conferences
  • Collaborated with other associations and organizations to support mutual goals including CARF, COA, LeadingAge, LeadingAge Virginia, LeadingAge PA, Autism Society of America, Generation United and the Interfaith Roundtable.

Position UMA as the gateway to EAGLE

  • Welcomed four new EAGLE-accredited communities
  • Highlighted the EAGLE Accreditation Program and its principals at each of our five shared learning events.
  • Created three working task forces to enhance the EAGLE process, create benchmarking tools and develop an EAGLE mentoring program.
  • Recruited 5 mentor organizations and 1 mentee to participate in the new pilot Mentor Program to support communities on the path to EAGLE
  • Highlighted the value of EAGLE through the Principals in Practice series
  • Enhanced marketing events through testimonials, visits and strategic relationships

Plan and implement shared learning events throughout the country to highlight EAGLE best practices and create networking opportunities for members.

  • Planned and implemented five shared learning events this year including the Annual Meeting.
  • Secured Nashville, TN for our 2018 Annual Meeting
  • Provided shared learning and best practices on key topics including: governance; philanthropy, spiritual wellness, risk management, marketing, workforce engagement, innovation, benchmarking, EAGLE Peer Reviewer training and more.