Reston Association lays out strategic plan to guide it through 2026

RestonNow.com February 23, 2024 at 1:34pm

Reston Association headquarters (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Reston Association has adopted a new strategic plan that aims to continue the vision of Reston’s founder Bob Simon over the next three years.

At a meeting last night (Thursday), the Board of Directors approved the strategic plan, which guides the organization through 2026 with little fanfare.

After obtaining input from “a small panel” of board members in early fall 2023, RA staff developed a first draft of the 2024-2026 strategic plan that was presented to the full board in January. The plan is intended to improve the organization’s communication and fiscal responsibility, while charting a new course for capital projects and building a “dynamic workforce.”

Now that the plan is adopted, staff will create an implementation strategy, according to RA CEO Mac Cummins.

The strategic plan is guided by a mission statement tasking RA with preserving and enhancing the Reston community through leadership, service and stewardship of its resources. The founding principle is putting “the importance and dignity of everyone as the focal point of planning.”

It lays out six broad objectives that focus on communications and engagement, partnerships and advocacy, member experience, fiscal responsibility, strategic capital improvement and the workforce.

At the meeting, board member Jennifer Jushchuk said she was unhappy with the diction of the objective related to supporting a dynamic workforce, lamenting that there isn’t a greater emphasis on recognizing and appreciating volunteers.

“I don’t wanna sit here and word-smith,” Jushchuk added, as the hours-long meeting inched toward 11 p.m.

Board director Jalal Mapar cautioned the board against “getting in the weeds.”

“This is a strategy goal,” he said. “It’s not intended to be that detailed.”

After some discussion on how to shift the objective, the board moved to adopt the plan. Cummins said staff will present the board with an implementation plan in the coming weeks following the hiring of several key positions, including a chief financial officer.