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2014 O&M / GDMI Profession Strategy Summit

A Community-driven Virtual Meeting Series to
Promote, Serve, and Grow the O&M/GDMI Profession

The first strategy-planning session was held March 18, 2014 but it's not too late to make the change that you want to see --
register by Monday, April 21 to make sure your voice is part of this community-driven conversation!

    The purpose of this series of five virtual strategy meetings is to come together as a community of committed stakeholders to ensure the future success of the O&M/GDMI profession and its efforts to most successfully serve our clients.

    The dates and times of the five meetings are outlined below. Participants are encouraged to attend all five meetings so that we, as a community, can achieve the following overall outcomes:
    • Create a common understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our profession with respect to pay equity, job conditions, licensure, concern for the future, and other issues.
    • Foster a sense of unity among the O&M/GDMI community, creating an environment of cooperation with a common purpose.
    • Leave with a sense that we have been open to, guided by, and rejuvenated by enthusiasm for what we do.
    • Leave with the knowledge that we have all been part of the decision-making process.
    • Leave with a viable strategy for the success of the O&M/GDMI profession, which creates hope for the future and concrete action plans to ensure that we are true to the vision.
    • Leave with structural recommendations that help us best implement our actionable strategy and a successful future for the O&M/GDMI profession and the people we serve.

    Who should come?
      This is a community-driven conversation to establish a clear and actionable strategy to promote, serve, and grow the O&M/GDMI Profession, as a whole. All stakeholders of our community (including O&M Instructors, GDMIs, AER members and non-members, administrators, consumers, and even other fellow stakeholders serving the blind or visual impaired community) are welcome and encouraged to participate in these important and groundbreaking conversations for our community.

    The approach for the virtual strategy meeting series

    This is a community-wide dialog—all voices are important to the conversation

      We will conduct a series of five virtual meetings, which together will help the community achieve the purpose and outcomes outlined above. Participants are encouraged to actively participate in all five virtual meetings, which provide an opportunity for small group discussions as well as whole group community dialog. In addition to this ground-breaking virtual approach to community-wide strategic planning, participants will also be part of an email discussion group, which will be used to spur discussion and dialog between the virtual meetings, increasing collaboration, ownership, and momentum throughout the meeting series.

      The schedule is outlined below (NOTE that the date for the third session has changed!):

        Date
        Time
        Major Activities

        Tues, March 18
        8:30 to 10:30 PM (Eastern)
        5:30 to 7:30 PM (Pacific)
      • Welcome, Setting the stage
      • Participant introductions that help us build a unified community of concerns and desires

        • Mon, March 31
        8:30 to 10:30 PM (Eastern)
        5:30 to 7:30 PM (Pacific)
      • Panel of opportunities and possibilities (includes Q&A) to build a strong community that is more informed, realizes our own potential, and desires change that helps our profession succeed

        • Tues, April 22

        8:30 to 10:30 PM (Eastern)
        5:30 to 7:30 PM (Pacific)
      • Presentation and feedback gathered on draft strategy to promote, serve, and grow the O&M profession — For participants to come together and provide feedback on a draft strategic framework; this includes a vote of prioritized desires to achieve the larger vision for our profession's future success.

        • Mon, April 28
        8:30 to 10:30 PM (Eastern)
        5:30 to 7:30 PM (Pacific)
      • Achieve consensus on new strategy for the next 3-5 years
      • Build off our consensus to create action plans to move us toward implementation of each strategic goal

        • Sat, May 10
        12:30 to 3:00 PM (Eastern)
        9:30 AM to 12:00 PM (Pacific)
      • Small group work on goal action plans are presented to the larger group;
      • Participants help prioritize action by casting votes;
      • Structural recommendations are created;
      • The virtual strategy series is closed with a celebration of our community-driven success.


      Register by Monday, April 21 to make sure your voice is part of this important conversation for all O&M professionals!

      Have questions about 2014 O&M/GDMI Profession—Strategy Summit? Contact the O&M/GDMI Strategy Summit--Steering Committee.


    O&M/GDMI Strategy Summit--Steering Committee members:
    photo shows the members sitting on a bed in a hotel room, Sarah is holding a laptop with Daniel shown on the screen
      The O&M PA Working Group's Steering Committee members are listed below. To the right is a photo of its first meeting, which was held in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 (Liz Scheffe and Craig Phillips are in the back, and sitting from left to right are Lori Graham, Sarah Bussey, Arona Elk and Beth Sutton with Daniel Simmons shown on the screen -- Dona Sauerburger was taking the picture).

      • Gene Bourquin
      • Sarah Bussey
      • Marybeth Cleveland
      • Arona Elk
      • Lukas Franck
      • Corey Grandstaff
      • Rod Haneline
      • Elga Joffee
      • Richard Long
      • Liz Scheffe
      • Beth Sutton
      • Karen Wheeldon


    O&M/GDMI Working Group Members:

    • Patty Arnold
    • Al Barras
    • Edward Bell
    • Joy Bieder
    • Gene Bourquin
    • Irene Brown
    • Sarah Bussey
    • Whitney Chapman
    • Calvin Churchwell
    • John Michael Clapp
    • Marybeth Cleveland
    • Kitty Burnett Cress
    • Arona Elk
    • Amaka Eweama
    • Lynn Gautreaux
    • Lori Graham
    • Celia Graham

    • Clint Grier
    • Rod Haneline
    • Joseph Harrison
    • John Higgins
    • John Hofmeister
    • Elga Joffee
    • Angela Johnson
    • Greg Jones
    • Rikilynn Layher
    • Steffani Leuteneker
    • Nancy Mann
    • Israel Martinez
    • Kevin McCormack
    • De McDougald
    • Jerry Miller
    • Suzanne Mullen
    • Rebecca I. Munjak

    • Lauren O'Farrell
    • Okono Okono
    • Craig Phillips
    • Steve Pollard
    • Michele Reed
    • Becky Romine
    • Bruce Rudd
    • Dona Sauerburger
    • Liz Scheffe
    • Debra Scott
    • Daniel Simmons
    • Beth Sutton
    • Joan Tolla
    • Mary Van Antwerp
    • Karen Walker
    • Michele Wentz
    • Jay Whipple