New Times, New Strategies
We are in uncharted territory; our region has never faced these issues before, in this combination, or at this scale. Our challenge is to comply with the federal mandates and fix the problems created by previous decades of decisions while avoiding the creation of liabilities for future generations.
In this new reality, we must employ new ways of thinking, new tools, and new partnerships. We must foster relationships with customers, neighborhoods, and other partners – and we must coordinate our efforts across the region. In essence, we must be an active participant in shaping our community’s future.
In a strategic planning process that started in 2008, Executive Director Parrott led MSD through an intensive process that involved all MSD divisions and many working groups. The steering committee identified a comprehensive list of goal areas and 80 detailed paths of action. The outcome was MSD’s 2009-2011 Strategic Plan, available on MSD’s Web site (www.msdgc.org). It adopts a “triple bottom line” approach, in that it addresses environmental and stakeholder goals alongside financial costs and benefits. The diagram below summarizes the framework of the strategic plan and its priorities.